Chemistry
English
No ready current hides inside the lemon
Does a lemon contain ready-made electricity? This upbeat song shows how lemon juice acts as an electrolyte while separate zinc and copper electrodes take part in a chemical reaction. Connect the leads and a multimeter reveals the small voltage as a number. Try it only with adult help.
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Text from the recording’s subtitles.
Song lyrics
Is ready current hiding in this lemon?
No! Juice, zinc, and copper start a reaction!
An adult gently rolls it on the counter
Then puts zinc and copper in the same juice
Close together, but they must never touch!
The juice is an electrolyte; ions move in it
That helps the chemical reaction take place
No ready current hides inside the lemon
Juice, zinc, and copper make a simple cell
The reaction produces a small voltage
The multimeter shows it as a number
An adult clips two leads onto the metals
The wires connect them to the multimeter
We hold our breath; the display starts to change
Then a little number comes into view
No ready current hides inside the lemon
Juice, zinc, and copper make a simple cell
The reaction produces a small voltage
The multimeter shows it as a number
Are the two metals the same?
No, zinc and copper are different!
Can the two electrodes touch?
No, keep them separate in the juice!
What will the multimeter show?
A small voltage, shown as a number!
No ready current hides inside the lemon
Juice, zinc, and copper make a simple cell
The reaction produces a small voltage
The multimeter shows it as a number
Not magic—just a little lemon cell!