Hobbies And Interests
Temperature and Battery Life
To discover if cold temperatures shorten battery life, students test different brands of batteries in conditions ranging from minus 78 C to 24 C. This project explores how batteries work and the role of an electrolyte in producing power. Students see that while colder temperatures slow the electrolyte, causing it to produce smaller currents, the battery actually lasts longer than at higher temperatures.
Battery Type and Performance
This experiment tests different types of batteries to discover which kind have the longest life. Students learn that batteries store energy in the form of chemicals such as carbon zinc, alkaline and nickel cadmium. Through using each type of battery, they discover how these various chemicals react differently to electricity.
Water Electrolysis
To explore electrolysis, students use a battery to split hydrogen gas from water. When electricity goes through water, the water splits into oxygen and hydrogen. The students see tiny bubbles collecting --- hydrogen at the cathode and chlorine at the anode. Because of the presence of salt used to help conduct the electricity for this project, chlorine gas releases rather than oxygen. Students learn that the oxygen atoms from the water combined with the salt to form hydroxyl ions and the chlorine gas results from the chloride in the salt.
Battery Capacity by Size
Different size batteries have different capacities. For this project, students learn how batteries work and wear out by powering one device with A, AA, C and D batteries. They'll gain insights into why engineers choose a particular size battery for a device and how a battery's weight and volume affect performance.