In this lab, lemon mocks the chemical makeup of a battery when zinc and copper are added to it and can be used to generate power, but it generates a limited amount of said power. When a zinc and copper are added to a lemon, it closely mimics the makeup of a battery. All batteries are made of an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte solution. In the lemon, the zinc acts as the anode, or the negative end, the copper acts as the cathode or the positive side, and the lemon juice acts as the electrolyte or acidic solution. This means that by following the steps in the procedure, a lemon can obtain the three main components in a battery.
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One of the first things that was discussed in this unit was about the power that can come from properly containing and chemical changing cow manure. In order to research this, we were given documents that discussed the negative affects on the environment that livestock creates and the ways that the livestock could be utilized in other ways to better the environment. The document also discussed the chemistry of how manure is turned into electricity. This process is shown in the diagram to the right.
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One of the main ways to understand the first law of thermodynamics (energy can not be created or destroyed, only transferred) is by visualizing how energy is transferred rather than created. We did this by completing and observing a Phet simulation that allowed us to electronically toy around with ways to generate and release energy. An example of one of the experiments is shown to the left, where a water wheel is used to light a light bulb. My partner and I used this specific simulation as inspiration for our project since we were taking a hypothetical route.
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