{"id":112181,"date":"2020-04-10T14:33:40","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T19:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=112181"},"modified":"2021-09-25T08:00:55","modified_gmt":"2021-09-25T13:00:55","slug":"battery-with-quarters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/skills\/how-to\/battery-with-quarters\/","title":{"rendered":"Kid Craft of the Week: Battery Made From Quarters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Making<\/p>\n

While much of the world is in quarantine of some form, and often sequestered with children who are itching for something to do, we thought it would be fun to offer a weekly craft\/project idea you can work on together to help while away the time. If you make the craft, we\u2019d love to see it; share on social media with the hashtag #aomkidcraft. <\/em><\/p>\n

Electricity is hard. Ask your friends how it works, and you\u2019ll probably find that a vast majority of us have no idea what is really going on when we flip a light switch or pop a few batteries into our flashlight. But surely we can learn to understand electricity, and what better way to learn, than to create it yourself. <\/p>\n

Making a battery is a great way to get introduced to some of the basic principles of electricity. At a basic level, electricity is a type of energy that results from the movement of electrons. Batteries contain all the necessary parts to create this flow of electrons because they include an anode, a cathode, and electrolyte. Anodes give up electrons, cathodes take electrons, and electrolyte is an ionic compound that electrons like to travel across, like a highway. <\/p>\n

While modern-day batteries use complex alloys as their cathodes and anodes, you\u2019ve likely got a plentiful supply of cathodes and anodes in your home. For our battery, we\u2019re going to use aluminum foil as the anode and the copper found in quarters as the cathode. For the electrolyte, a mixture of vinegar and salt works great. Why? Because all acids work as the electrolyte. Adding salt increases the number of positive and negative ions and boosts the overall power of the electrolyte. <\/p>\n

By layering aluminum, copper, and electrolyte, you can create a battery. Adding additional layers increases the power of your battery. Add enough layers, and you can drive a current powerful enough to run a small LED bulb. <\/p>\n

Before you get started, keep in mind that the efficacy of this battery can be a bit finicky. I went through many rounds of testing and tweaking to get it to work more consistently, and as a result developed some protocols to increase your chances of success. Look for these “pro tips” along the way and heed their guidance as you build your battery. With some practice and patience, you\u2019ll eventually get there. <\/p>\n

How to Make a Battery Out of Coins<\/span><\/h3>\n

What you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n