Sulfuric Battery

[dom3mo]

Im pretty sure this would work. You need a metal container "A old car battery or something thats resistant to sulfuric acid". A metal cover "make sure it fits the container" ,you will need to file some pennies until all the zinc is exposed, copper wire, and a drill. Drill a hole in the penny and thread the copper wire do this twice to make the anode and cathode. Fill the container with the sulfuric acid "be careful". Then drill a hole in the metal cover and thread the copper wire so that the penny and some of the wire is in the solution while some of the wire is sticking out. Put the metal cover on and your done.

[Melvin]

uhh...no

 

Putting zinc metal in sulfuric acid gives you zinc sulfate and hydrogen, and does not make electricity (I assume that's what this is for).

 

You need something that will react with H2SO4 to give electrons as the anode and something that will require electrons to react with H2SO4 as the cathode. Most car batteries use lead dioxide and lead for this.

[dom3mo]

Oh ok then lead plates instead of zinc

[Rocket Man]

and another plate of lead sulfate...

why deconstruct the car battery in the first place?

[insane_alien]

also, a metal container is a bad idea. acids dissolve metal. use glass.

[Melvin]

Both of the plates can't be lead, dom3mo. One is lead, but the other is lead dioxide.

 

Just buy a car battery!

[YT2095]

uhh...no

 

Putting zinc metal in sulfuric acid gives you zinc sulfate and hydrogen, and does not make electricity (I assume that's what this is for).

 

sorry and all that, but that statement isn`t true, it will indeed make an electrical potential, I`m not sure off the top of my head the Half Electrode potential for Zn metal but it`s about 1.5 Volts.

[Melvin]

Well, if you used zinc for both electrodes, wouldn't they just cancel each other out?

[YT2095]

if Both were zinc yeah, you can`t have a battery with Just a (-) terminal

[John Cuthber]

Worse; the copper wire would act as the other electrode.

The "battery" would be short circuited.

[YT2095]

it wouldn`t have a great Shelf Life either

[John Cuthber]

Lets face it; it wouldn't be a battery but it might make a decent hand warmer.

[Melvin]

Maybe an uneconomic, unsafe hand warmer:-)

 

Would make some useful H2 though.

[YT2095]

with Zinc being amphoteric, you could also use a Base like KOH or NaOH, but keep this in solid form for the shelf life, and when you need power you just add some water and away you go, instant power, a bit like Torpedo batts, they`re only small and don`t have to last long (for obvious reasons) they activate when you get them wet and give off kilowatts of power.

[Melvin]

YT, what would you use as the other electrode if one is zinc? Copper?

[YT2095]

copper would be fine sure, I did one ages ago using NaOH as the electrolyte and Magnalium and copper as the electrodes in the Great Battery LED challenge.

 

here: http://www.scienceforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2863