Make your own Cell in Electricity Current and it’s Effects – Class 7 Science Experiment
Chapter Name: Electricity Current and it’s Effects
Activity Name: Make your own Cell in Electricity Current and it’s Effects
Activity Description:
In this experiment, you will create a simple cell using basic materials to understand how a cell produces electricity.
The cell will be made using two injection bottles, copper wires, zinc strips, and sulphuric acid. Once the cell is assembled, you will test it by connecting an LED (Light Emitting Diode) to observe if it lights up.
Required Items:
- Two injection bottles
- Two 3cm long pieces of thick copper wire
- Sandpaper
- Discharged dry cell with outer zinc covering
- Sulphuric acid
- Rubber caps for the injection bottles
- LED (Light Emitting Diode)
- Connecting wires
Step by Step Procedure:
- Cut two 3cm long pieces of thick copper wire.
- Use sandpaper to scrape about 1cm of the coating off both ends of the copper wires.
- Take a discharged dry cell and remove its outer metal covering made of zinc.
- Cut two 2mm wide and 3cm long strips from the zinc plate.
- Insert the copper wires and zinc strips separately into the rubber caps of the injection bottles. Ensure they do not touch each other.
- Connect one zinc plate from one bottle with one copper wire from the other bottle using a wire.
- Fill both bottles with sulphuric acid (seek the help of your teacher).
- Carefully close the bottles with the caps containing the copper wires and zinc strips.
Experiment Observations:
The LED should light up when the wire from one terminal of the LED is connected to the copper wire of the first bottle, and the wire from the other terminal of the LED is connected to the zinc plate of the second bottle.
Precautions:
- Be careful while handling sulphuric acid, and always seek the assistance of your teacher.
- Ensure that the copper wires and zinc strips do not touch each other inside the bottles to avoid short-circuiting.
- Follow safety guidelines when working with tools and sharp objects.
Lesson Learnt from Experiment:
This experiment demonstrates the principles of a simple cell and how it generates electricity. When the zinc and copper come into contact with the sulphuric acid, a chemical reaction occurs, leading to the production of electric potential difference. This potential difference is responsible for lighting up the LED, indicating the flow of electricity.
