How a Pile of Pennies Lights Your Life

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This article is about using pennies to make a battery. We wrote about a fellow called Allessandro Volta yesterday. He built the world’s first battery, inspired by a frog’s leg but made out of zinc and copper discs he separated with spacers soaked in salty water. Do you wish that you could do something similar? Well yes you could, and just imagine what your friends will say at school.

All You Need is Vinegar, Foil, Cardboard & A Pile of Pennies

pennies
Credit: Public Domain

Volta – we named volts after him – had to cut his discs from zinc and copper sheet before he started. We are going to jump right over that because we have pennies in our pockets. That’s right, we are almost good to go. Pennies are copper-plated zinc!

Take ten pennies from your pocket – or your parent’s wallet but remember to ask first. Rub one side of each penny with fine sandpaper until the zinc shines through. Now stack the pennies in a pile with the “silver” (zinc) sides facing up, and raid the kitchen for some vinegar. Here’s a video using a similar method to make a smaller one if you can only find three pennies.

Why vinegar you ask? It’s simple. Vinegar is a weak electrolyte perfect for our experiment. Cut the cardboard into nine little squares with sides equal to the diameter of a penny. Moisten the squares with vinegar, place them between the pennies, and set your battery on a small piece of kitchen foil with one edge showing

Are You Ready to Light Your Life with Pennies?

pennies
Credit: Ken Teegardin

Ripley’s believe it or not, you now have a six-volt battery. Convince yourself by connecting a multi-meter – or a light bulb – between the foil sheet and the top penny on the pile. This provides sufficient electricity for several LED lights, and more than enough for a pocket calculator.

Don’t believe us? Check the video. Please be careful when trying new ideas. Ask an older friend or adult to assist. We’ll bet you had no idea how much those pennies in your pocket were worth until now.

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About Author

I tripped over a shrinking bank balance and fell into the writing gig unintentionally. This was after I escaped the corporate world and searched in vain for ways to become rich on the internet by doing nothing. Despite the fact that writing is no recipe for wealth, I rather enjoy it. I will not deny I am obsessed with it when I have the time. I live in Margate on the Kwazulu-Natal south coast of South Africa. I work from home where I ponder on the future of the planet, and what lies beyond in the great hereafter. Sometimes I step out of my computer into the silent riverine forests, and empty golden beaches for which the area is renowned. Richard

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