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Need more power from Lemon

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Lemon Power

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Hello all, my daughter and I built a lemon battery for her science fair project. With one lemon, we could get about 0.80 Volts when using a copper wire and Galvanized nail. If we rigged up a pair of lemons, we got about 1.55V.

We had a AAA battery and could light up a single mini-light. The lemon, even both together, had the voltage but I assume we are low on amps.

How would we increase the amps to light the light bulb?

Thanks,
 
Put more acid in the lemon, use a bigger lemons, try a grape fruit, put lemons in series or get a LED or smaller bulb that takes less amps to light.
 
Sounds like you need a small step up transformer. I can't tell you how to figure the size, but if you could make something like that, it would be worth extra points on her score. Actually, there may be something available at Radio Shack or somewhere like that. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
Use three or more of each electrode in the lemon, and use more than one lemon. It might take three or 4 to make enough power the electrodes must all be joined together on the same lemon (copper to copper, and zinc to zinc) then connect the lemons in parallel to each other (all coppers joined and all zinc joined.) Best of luck, they are not powerful. Once it is tested, either take it apart until the showing, or use new lemons, as they have a poor shelf life. Light polishing of the electrodes will also assure best performance. Jim
 
With respect, Transformers only work on AC or pulse DC, And they cannot ad power to a system, they remove a little bit. Jim
 
Voltage is set by the metals--first year chemistry. Can you try a larger area? Current is limited by internal resistance.
 
The LEDs I have worked with take about 3 to 4 1/2 volts, All tho there Might be others. So maybe two or three lemons in series Bet they would work great.
 

Could you use a very small Capacitor, that would absorb the Voltage, then Discharge it thru the Bulb..???

It would be only a short term illumination...but, it seems to me that LEDs have been powered by (charged) Capacitors..

Ron..
 
My son made a potato battery a few years ago. I don't right now recall the details, but he was able to power a small light bulb with it.

Christopher
 
Hook your wire to a bigger lemon, oh say like a chevy volt! Watch out for explosions and fire, and massive taxpayer expense!
 
You will need to connect more "batteries" in parallel to increase the current output.

Dean
 
What's the difference between a motorcycle battery and a deep cell heavy duty battery? They both have the same materials inside.

Answer, surface area of the plates. Try connecting many copper wires together and many galv nails together. The closer you get the opposite plates, the better the battery.

Post back with your results.
George
 
Reckon lemons will be our source for electric power when all the wind turbines are no longer in operation and left to rust and crash to the ground??
 
You may want to experiment with different metals. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_electrode_potential_(data_page)

This table will tell you what voltages you will get when you use different metals. You may have to open your chemistry book to look up on the periodic table what the symbols for different metals are.

You will find the potential you get for a zinc copper battery, whick is close to what you got, 0.8 volts. You may want to switch to a different combination of metals and increase your plate area. The table will tell you what you get for different electrodes.

You may want to cheat a little and inject the lemon with concentrated lemon juice.

You may want to use something other than a mimi light. They draw way more amps that you will generate.

Try finding a digital clock that will run on a 1.5v battery.

Another idea will be to use aluminum foil and another metal. Put paper between the metals
so the metals don't touch. Soak the paper in lemon juice. See how this works.

On the table aluminum Al is -1.6 v and copper is +.15 v

LOL
George
 
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