How To Create a Lemon Battery

A lemon battery is a device used in an experiment proposed in many science textbooks around the world. It consists of inserting two different metallic objects, for example a galvanized nail and a copper coin, into a lemon.The copper coin serves as the negative electrode and the galvanized nail as the positive electrode. These two objects work as electrodes, causing an electrochemical reaction which generates a small potential difference. The aim of this experiment is to show students how batteries work. After the battery is assembled, a multimeter can be used to check the generated voltage. In order for a more visible effect to be produced, a few lemon cells connected in series can be used to power a standard LED. Flashlight bulbs are generally not used because the lemon battery cannot produce the amount of current required to light such bulbs.