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Lemon Battery Research Overview

This chapter reviews related literature and studies that will serve as a reference for the researchers. It discusses foreign literature on lemon batteries and their use to power small devices. It also reviews foreign studies that constructed lemon batteries and evaluated their electrical properties, finding lemons can generate a small amount of electricity from their citric acid. The chapter establishes lemons have the components to act as a basic battery and related research on using their chemical energy for practical applications.

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chai chai
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
249 views5 pages

Lemon Battery Research Overview

This chapter reviews related literature and studies that will serve as a reference for the researchers. It discusses foreign literature on lemon batteries and their use to power small devices. It also reviews foreign studies that constructed lemon batteries and evaluated their electrical properties, finding lemons can generate a small amount of electricity from their citric acid. The chapter establishes lemons have the components to act as a basic battery and related research on using their chemical energy for practical applications.

Uploaded by

chai chai
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDY

This chapter is all about the review of related literature and studies that will serve
as a reference of the researchers for this study.

Review of Related Literature

Foreign Literature

According to the article by Science Buddies, (2015) entitled "Generate Electricity


with a Lemon Battery", Batteries are containers that store chemical energy, which can be
converted to electrical energy—or what we call electricity. They depend on an
electrochemical reaction to do this. The reaction typically occurs between two pieces of
metal, called electrodes, and a liquid or paste, called an electrolyte. For a battery to work
well, the electrodes must be made up of two different types of materials. This ensures one
will react differently than the other with the electrolyte. This difference is what generates
electricity. Connect the two electrodes with a material that can transport electricity well
(called a conductor) and the chemical reactions fire up; the battery is generating
electricity! As you make connections, note that electricity likes to take the path of least
resistance. If there are multiple ways to go from one electrode to the other, the electricity
will take the path that lets it flow most easily. Then the article of Muske, R., Nigh, C. and
Weinstein, R. (2007) entitled "A Lemon Cell Battery for High-Power Applications"
discusses the development of a lemon cell battery for high-power applications. The target
application is the power source of a dc electric motor for a model car constructed by first-
year engineering students as part of their introductory course design project and
competition. The battery is composed of a series of lemon juice cells made from UV–vis
cuvets that use a magnesium anode and copper cathode. Dilution of the lemon juice to
reduce the rate of corrosion of the magnesium anode and the addition of table salt to
reduce the internal resistance of the cell are examined. Although their specific interest is
the use of this lemon cell battery to run an electric dc motor, high-power applications

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such as radios, portable cassette or CD players, and other battery-powered toys are
equally appropriate for demonstration and laboratory purposes using the battery. And
Swartling, D. & Morgan C. (1998) in their article "Lemon cells revisited-The lemon-
powered calculator" stated that in the course of doing chemical demonstrations at several
grade schools and demonstrations in freshman chemistry lecture, the authors have found
that students relate most to experiments that involve common everyday items found in
the home. While teaching electrochemistry to their freshman classes the authors wanted
to demonstrate the principles of a voltaic cell using items that students could easily obtain
or relate to. The use of dissimilar metal strips and a lemon to create a voltaic cell is well
known and even portrayed in a current freshman chemistry text. The authors were unable
to reproduce a previously published version of the lemon battery. They decided to search
for items that could be used in a small to medium sized classroom that would work
reliably and repeatably. Using copper and zinc or copper and magnesium as electrodes,
the items found to work reliably are various LEDs, various piezoelectric buzzers, an LCD
desk clock, and a TI-30 calculator. Also according to the article by University of Pretoria
etd-Mekbib S B (2007) entitled "A lemon cell battery for high power appilication" ,Citrus
(Citrus sinesis L.) is one of the most important fruit crops known by humans since
antiquity and is a good source of vitamin “C” with high antioxidant potential (Gorinstein
et al., 2001). Citrus originated from south-eastern Asia, China and the east of Indian
Archipelago from at least 2000 BC (Swingle, 1943; Webber et al., 1967; Gmitter and Hu,
1990). The fruit has been introduced to the new world via the great trade routes of Africa
to the eastern Mediterranean basin by the Arab traders while the crusaders brought the
fruit to Italy, Spain and Portugal around 1000 AD (Scora, 1975). The fruit was introduced
further to the western hemisphere by Columbus on his second voyage in 1493 (Samson,
1980) and the planting material to the Cape in South Africa by a Dutch merchant in 1654
(Oberholzer, 1969). Currently, citrus is cultivated in the subtropical and tropical regions
of the world between 40o north and south latitude in over 137 countries on six continents
and generates about 105 billion US dollar per year in the world fruit market (Ismail and
Zhang, 2004). In Ethiopia, although the introduction, production and consumption of
citrus as a horticultural crop is very recent (Seifu, 2003), the current production and area

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coverage has increased through private, association and government firms to meet the
local and export demands.

As with other fruits, citrus is attacked by several pre- and/or postharvest pathogens that
affect fruit quality. Green and blue mould infections caused by Penicillium spp. (Droby et
al., 1989), anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz (Whiteside et al.,
1988; Davies and Albrigo, 1994), and sour rot caused by Geotrichum candidum Link ex
Pers (Howard, 1936; Whiteside etal., 1988; Chalutz and Wilson, 1990) are some of the
major postharvest problems that cause market losses. In developing countries, where
protection and proper handling of fresh fruit is inadequate, losses during transit and
storage are even greater mounting up to about 50% of the harvested crop (Wisniewski
and Wilson, 1992). In Ethiopia, although there are not much comprehensive data
available, estimates by Eyob (1997) showed that more than 50% of the fresh fruit
produced is lost postharvestly.

Foreign Study

The study of Mazumder, A. (2018) entitled "Construction and evaluation of


electrical properties of a lemon battery" aimed to develop a lemon battery and determine
the electrical properties of lemon. The objective of the research was to develop a lemon
battery and determine the electrical properties of lemon battery. The main hypothesis of
the research work was to determine whether lemon can produce electricity or not. Lemon
has a voltaic cell which changes chemical energy into electrical energy. By a series
circuit, conductor (copper) inserted into lemon to generate voltage. Three varieties of
lemon such as Kagoji, Sarboti and Elachi were used for the experiments. Elachi could
produce maximum 1.0±0.1 v voltage and 1.25±0.05 mA electricity. Overall, the
electricity production was very low due to low amount of citric acid in the lemons.
However, lemon could produce minimum electricity which might be used in the Light
emitting diode (LED). And According to the study of Shittu, S., Ajagbe, S. & Oloruntora,
R. (2018) entitled "Conversion of Fruit to Battery".Batteries are device that store
chemical energy and convert it to electrical energy, so using fruit as battery acts like a wet
cell that consists of a negative and positive electrode with an electrolyte which conducts
ions, also, copper and zinc metals acts as electrodes while citric acid of the fruit is the

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electrolyte. Fruits battery comprises of the combination of different materials which are
the copper penny (coin), galvanized nail, multimeter, alligator clips, connecting wires and
light emitting diode (LED) bulb, by which all connected together make up the fruit
battery used to light up a LED bulb. The fruit battery has different application which are;
lightening a bulb and charging a battery in which the combinations are all connected in
such a way that the penny and the galvanized nail are inserted into the fruits with alligator
clips attached to end of the two electrodes and connected to others in series, the two ends
of the connecting wire is then connected to the LED bulb depending on the capacity of
the fruit battery. Result show that, apple generated the highest voltage out of all the fruits
tested, the higher the acidity and size of the fruit, the higher the voltage, also, the far apart
the electrodes inserted into the fruits, the higher the voltage using copper and zinc as the
best electrode over copper and steel or steel and zinc electrode. As well as Khan K. et al
(2017) studied the performance of PKL, Aloe Vera, Tomato and Lemon juice
electrochemical cells with load condition for 2:1 Zn/Cu based electrodes. It was studied
the variation of Load Voltage (VL), Load Current (IL), and Load Power (PL), with the
variation of time for PKL, Aloe Vera, Tomato and Lemon juice electrochemical Cells. It
was seen from the research observation that PKL electrochemical Cell was more efficient
than the other three Aloe Vera, Tomato and Lemon juice electrochemical Cells. Because,
the load Current (IL), Load Voltage (VL), and Load Power (PL) are more stable and
steady than the others three Aloe Vera, Tomato and Lemon juice electrochemical Cells.
The researchers have also studied the performance of PKL, Aloe Vera, Tomato and
Lemon juice electrochemical Cells without load condition for 1:1 Zn/Cu based
electrodes. It was studied the variation of Open circuit voltage (Voc), Short current (Isc)
and Maximum Power (Pmax) with the variation of time for PKL, Aloe Vera, Tomato and
Lemon juice electrochemical Cells. It was seen from the research observation that the
discharge characteristic of the PKL electrochemical cell was more efficient than the other
three Aloe Vera, Tomato and Lemon juice electrochemical Cells. Because the Open
circuit voltage (Voc), Short current (Isc) and Maximum Power (Pmax) are more stable
and steady than the others three Aloe Vera, Tomato and Lemon juice electrochemical
Cells. Heat treatment temperature was a new approach by which we can enhance the
performances of the PKL, Aloe Vera, Lemon and Tomato electrochemical cells.

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Local Literature

According to an article "Start Your Clock with a Lemon" (2014), the lemon
battery

works because there’s a chemical reaction between the steel in the paper clip and the
lemon juice. There’s also a chemical reaction between the copper in the one cent coin and
the lemon juice. The two chemical reactions push electrons through the wires. Because
the two metals are different, the electrons get pushed harder in one direction than the
other. If the metals were the same, the push would be equal and no electrons would flow.
The electrons flow in one direction around in a circle and then come back to the lemon
battery. While they flow through the clock, they make it work. This flow is called electric
current.

Local Study

The study of Ortiz, K. entitled "Fruit Batteries" where the author tested what fruit
has the highest voltage. Results showed that the Kiwi had the highest voltage, the lemon
had the second highest, the grapefruit had the third highest, and the orange had the
lowest. The research hypothesis was not correct because the lemon did not have the
highest voltage the kiwi did. The author could have improved her project by using bigger
fruits because the penny kept of falling out of the kiwi, but other than that the project was
fine.

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Common questions

Powered by AI

Lemon batteries generate very low voltage and current, which limits their application to low-power devices like small LEDs or LCD displays. The low amount of citric acid present results in minimal electricity generation, often making it impractical for powering everyday electronic devices such as mobile phones or radios . Additionally, the variability in natural materials and the limited lifespan of the chemical reactions within the fruit further restrict their usability .

The efficiency of a lemon battery is significantly impacted by the properties of the electrodes used. Copper and zinc, or copper and magnesium, are commonly used due to their different electrochemical potentials, which enhance the voltage output. The reactivity of the metals with the electrolyte impacts the ion flow between the electrodes, thus influencing the battery's overall power output. The combination of dissimilar metals ensures adequate energy conversion, whereas using the same metals would result in no electron flow .

To enhance the power output of a lemon cell for high-power applications, you can use a series of cells to increase the voltage or current. The use of a magnesium anode and copper cathode can also increase efficiency. Diluting the lemon juice reduces corrosion of the anode, and adding table salt decreases internal resistance . Moreover, positioning the electrodes further apart within the fruit can increase voltage output by reducing interference between electrodes .

Fruits like kiwi and apple can produce higher voltages than lemons because they may contain higher concentrations of acids, which act as better electrolytes. The higher the acidity and the size of the fruit, the more effective the fruit can be in generating electricity due to an increased flow of ions facilitating the electrochemical reaction . Furthermore, the composition and size of the fruit influence the distance between the electrodes, impacting voltage output .

The challenges in reproducing lemon battery setups highlight the need for consistency in educational demonstrations and underscore the potential complexity of explaining scientific concepts through experiments with variable natural materials. These challenges necessitate careful planning and execution to ensure reliable results, which is critical for maintaining educational value and student engagement. Such situations illuminate the need for teachers to be adaptable and prepared to address inconsistencies as learning opportunities, reinforcing the scientific method's principles .

The introduction of citrus fruits to new regions mirrors historical global trade and exploration patterns. Originating from Southeast Asia, citrus fruits were spread through trade routes to the Mediterranean by Arab traders and further introduced to Europe by the Crusaders. Columbus brought citrus to the Americas on his second voyage, and Dutch merchants facilitated their introduction to South Africa. These movements not only reflect the spread of agricultural practices but also illustrate how trade and exploration influenced the cultural and economic development of regions .

Effective experimental setups for educational purposes involve using common materials such as copper and zinc electrodes, lemons, and small devices like LEDs or calculators. By demonstrating the voltaic principle with readily available materials, the experiment becomes relatable and engaging for students. Successful setups ensure that the elements are securely connected, with electrodes inserted securely in the lemon to prevent interruptions in the current flow. Demonstrations are enhanced by using multiple lemons in series for higher voltage applications .

The electrochemical reaction in a lemon battery involves two electrodes made of dissimilar metals, such as copper and magnesium or zinc, inserted into the lemon. The lemon juice acts as the electrolyte, enabling the flow of ions. The difference in reactivity between the two different metals with the electrolyte causes electrons to flow from the more reactive metal (anode) to the less reactive one (cathode), creating an electric current .

Comparatively, PKL electrochemical cells have proven more efficient than lemon juice cells, with higher current and power stability both under load and no-load conditions. This suggests that PKL cells have superior ion exchange properties and more effective electrolyte interactions, leading to a steadier output. Thus, PKL cells may offer valuable insights into enhancing fruit battery designs by improving electrode and electrolyte interactions for greater energy conversion efficiency .

Postharvest loss of citrus fruits in developing countries significantly impacts economic and food security by reducing the availability of fruits for local consumption and export. This loss, estimated at over 50% in some regions, diminishes potential income for farmers and affects the supply chain, leading to higher prices and reduced access to these nutritious commodities. It also exacerbates food insecurity by decreasing the overall food supply, making it challenging to meet dietary needs .

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