Induced Electromotive Force in Potatoes | Experiment

Induced Electromotive Force in Potatoes ExperimentI was first introduced to vegetal electric vitality during my freshman year in high enlighten, when our alchemy teacher showed a lemon barrage fire at work as we were studying Electrochemistry. I got very intrigued with the idea of generating electricity with lemons, and I posterior learnt that many organic substances exist which can also produce electricity.The succeeding(a) year of my high school, I heard ab surface the global white plague of power, and how the earths natural resources were getting depleted, and got an idea that if natural organic batteries were developed, the resources of the earth would stay stable. Thus I took up this study to help me explore the opening of organic fuel cellular phones and its capability of generating electromotive force.For this study I solelyow encounter white murphy vinees into consideration because of their high acrimonious content and the relative accessibility of it.The ven ereal disease responsible for the genesis of emf within the spud is Phosphoric acid, precisely my experiment provide deal with what causes the change in the electric potential when the potatoes ar seetheed. Initi in bothy I thought the cause lied in the vary absorption of the electrolyte, scarce upon further study and research found the drive to lie within the cell membranes of the potatoes that get ruptured during the laboring process of the potatoes, thereby varying the electromotive force gene sum upd.After maize, w cacoethes, and rice, potato is the worlds fourth most of import food crop with an annual production of more than 323 x 106 slews with more than one-third coming from developing countries. Thus if potatoes do instal to be beneficial asset, it can able easily adopted by those who atomic number 18 lacking electrical infrastructure as part of the day-by-day routine since it is cheap and requires no special skills for assembly.RESEARCH QUESTIONHow does the generate electromotive force generated from the potatoes depend on the state of the potato (i.e. Fresh potato vs. Boiled Potato)?INTRODUCTIONThe first batteries were researched and invented by Volta when he make a device capable of producing electricity by the mere cont pretend of conducting substances of contrary species. The invention of Voltaic battery had marked the birth of a bracing era in the development of modern physics and made a significant change in our lifestyle. Battery technology has without a question seen progress, starting from it being dependent on organic/ biologic matters to it worthy more efficient using inorganic-reaction-based technology. However from the end of the 20th century, biological batteries were just a mere science experiment performed in highs school, even with the growing concern of depleting the earths resources, there has been a new found cheer in the development of organic fuel cells.In order to suck up this growing interest, I no urish performed a study regarding the basic school experiment of a potato battery. For the first part of my study, I forget perform the normal experiment by making a potato cell, using Zinc and Copper electrodes and recording the electromotive force ( electromotive force) generated. straight off, for the second part, I depart boil the potatoes and record the readings of the voltage generated. I depart equivalence the deuce results, and comment about my observations, and founder possible conclusions about wherefore there is a change in EMF generated or why there is no change in EMF generated.BACKGROUND randomness ELECTROCHEMISTRYElectrochemistry deals with the inter- passage of electrical energy and chemical substance energy. This study will deal with the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy (Electrochemical Cells).An electrochemical cell in the first place consists of cardinal major components left hand electrode (LHE) and the right hand electrode (RHE). In LHE, oxidation (loss of electron) takes place and is called the anode. In RHE, reducing (gain of electron) takes place and is called cathode. Anode is generally of that surface (or substance) which readily loses electrons (i.e. Oxidized easily). Cathode is a alloy which readily accepts electrons (i.e. Reduced easily). there atomic number 18 cardinal specific ways in order to take a leak an electrochemical, voltaic or galvanic cell.Method 1Put the LHE (anode) into the solvent of the electrolyte of the Cathode (containing the ions of the cathode). This allows the anode to devoid electrons per atom and the ions present in the electrolyte accept the electrons. Thus, the cathode ions from the beginning in this manner get deposited in order to form the metals of the respective cathode and the metal anode goes into the solution as ions. The reaction can be understood with devil half-cell reactionsoxidation M Anode (S) Mn+(aq) Anode+ ne-Reduction Mn+(aq) Cathode + ne- M Cathode( S) _ ___________________________________________________ boilers suit Reaction M Anode(S) + Mn+(aq) Cathode M Cathode (S) + Mn+(aq)AnodeWhere,M Anode(S) is the section that gets oxidized at the anode,M Cathode(S) is the element that gets reduced at the cathode,ne- is the flesh of electrons lost/gained during the reactionA rod of that metal is prepared and fit(p) into one of its own solution in LHE to get anode. In RHE, a rod of metal that loses electrons less easily as compared to the metal of LHE is prepared and put into one of the solution to get the cathode. LHE and RHE are also know as two-half cells. Now the electrons move from anode (LHE) to cathode (RHE) and hence a current string up is maintained in the extraneous circuit. This current lean is cod to the situation that a potence difference is created this and this is called the E.M.F, electromotive force of a cell.The two shed light on containers are committed by a inverted tube U shaped tube called as salt duad. T he salt bridge contains solution of robust ionic salts like NaCl, NaNO3 and KCl etc. (salts of most reactive foot metals) soaked in colloidal solution of agar-gel which exclusively allows movements of ions, not water. The place of the slat bridge is very important as it allows the continuous venting of the cell. The salt bridge keeps the two solutions electrically neutral to one another. In the Fe-CuSO4 cell, in the left cell as Fe loses electrons, redundant of confident(p) charge in the form of Fe2+ is collected near the LHE and as Cu2+ ions gets dismissed accepting electrons form Fe in the right hand cell, excess of damaging charge in the form of SO42- is accumulated near the RHE. Now the salt bridge provides positive charge to RHE (in form of K+ ions) and negative charge to the LHE (in the form Cl-) and frankincense bringing about the neutrality of two solutions. If this does not take place, a reverse potential difference is created in the two compartments and indeed bre aking the continuous supple of voltage (current), which is the shoot for of the cell.The efficiency of a cell is determined by the tendency of LHE to loose electrons and the tendency of RHE to accept electrons. A measure of cell efficiency is called as electromotive force (EMF) or the voltage or the difference in potentials of two electrodes. EMF is defined as the difference in the potential across LHE and RHE to which electrons from anode travel to cathode.My experiment consists of the above explanation with regard to a auxiliary Battery or also called Galvanic Cell, which uses the main principles of the method mentioned above, but lacks a salt bridge but the cell membranes within the potato act as a salt bridge. The electrolyte in the potatoes is the phosphoric acid which does not actively participate in the reaction, since its main purpose is to make Zn loose electrons by oxidizing it, the potato provides the protons and the Cu plate remain unmoved by the acid bathing tub.M y storage battery is the potato, with the anode plate is made up of Zinc (Zn), while the cathode plate is Copper (Cu). The electrolyte which initiates the reaction or makes the reaction possible in potatoes is phosphoric acid (H3PO4).My experiment will involve the use of smoothing compress nails (Zn+2/Zn) acting as anode, and strapper plates (Cu+2/Cu) as cathode.These are placed in an electrically semiconductive solution that allowsionsto travel freely amid the two metals in this show window potato. The acid steadily eats away at the Zinc, a chemical reaction that releases spare zincelectrons. These electrons and so join with spare atomic number 1 ionsin the acid to create hydrogen gas.Meanwhile, the tomentum remains unaffected even when submerged in acid but as currently as a conducting wire is connected in the midst of it and iron electrons righteousness from copper to contract. The spare iron electrons are still intent on forming hydrogen gas, but they direct an ea sier time doing it with the hydrogen surrounding the iron anode. So the electrons from the copper cathode travel through the wire to get to the iron. Batteries effect this flow of electrons, therefore producing induced EMF.In most of the batteries, there is national impedance which makes it impossible for the battery to produce 100% of its maximum potential difference. The same is applicable for the potato battery in the form of GAII (Galvanic unmingled immanent impedance, a trait related to both the salt bridge function of a given tissue delineated between electrodes and to the battery congenital resistance properties). This electrical impedance can be a classified into further categories which is out of scope of this study. But the concept of GAII is recyclable as it can explain the relation between the EMF generated from a poached potato as compared to a fresh potato.Thus the EMF generated from one potato is because of the potential difference created by the electrodes as in the above mentioned cases. But since the number of potatoes remains constant, the reacting species also is constant, i.e. when two potatoes are employ, each potato will withdraw an zinc and copper plate, and thus when the zinc gets oxidized by the potatoes, same electrons will enter the iron electrode from the copper, thus EMF generated should be same. But this is where my experiment differs.MY ORIGINALITYExperiments have already been conducted on fresh potatoes and the induced EMF but, I planned to boil my potatoes and observe the readings of the EMF generated and compare the results obtained from performing the experiment with raw potatoes. The potatoes by default will be same and will be microwaved in KCl solution for scientific vigor, and then after certain attainment of means temperature, the EMF generated will be recorded. The readings and the graph will make gather in weather the boiling of potatoes changes the EMF and what makes the EMF generated to change.MY HYPOTH ESISThe induced EMF generated from the experiment being performed with boiled potatoes compared to raw potatoes will decrease since the concentration of phosphoric acid will decrease, since the potatoes are boiled in aqueous solution, thus diluting the already present phosphoric acid, and thus since the concentration of the electrolyte decreases so will the rate of oxidization and reduction, eventually put acrossing to the decrease in the EMF generated. The GAII may also play a part since when the potatoes are boiled the inner temperature of the potato increases causing denaturation and this efficiency affect the flow of electrons thereby modify the EMF generated.METHODBattery Designcommercially available potatoes were used throughout, due to ease of accessibility and for economic factors. The mineral composition of the potatoes has been given in Table 1 of the appendix. I compared the EMF generated from cells made of potatoes treats as followsRaw/Fresh/un enuredBoiled/treatedFo r the preparation of the Galvanic cell, the potatoes in both cases were cut into 5x2x2cm and were sandwiched between the Iron and Copper plates.Potato Denaturation by BoilingI compared the electrical energy generated from untreated potatoes compared to that of treated potatoes. For scientific vigour, I immersed the chopped potatoes in 1 mol dm-3 KCl solution and microwaved at 800W for 5 minutes.Measurement of EMFThe sum total of EMF (V) generated was evaluated using a Vernier Lab Quest connected to the cell. The measurement was also taken for Current (I) and Power (P). These measurements were taken oer a period of 2 hours over a constant cut of equal resistance. In order to prevent the potato coming in contact with agate line it was covered with Parafilm in order to reduce drying and oxidation. shiftingSIN st head for the hillsg-out VARIABLESThe strong-minded variable in this experiment is the potatoes, or the state of the potatoes i.e. boiled or fresh. Thus the experiment wil l be carried out with fresh potatoes, and then further into boiled potatoes.,For similar concentration, and volume of acid in potatoes, similar sized potatoes were taken so that the result will not deviate.The potatoes act as independent batteries, providing induced EMF as they are connected in series. The reason they act as a battery is because the copper and zinc electrode undergo redox reactions in the presence of the acid which acts as an electrolyte, which creates a potential difference and this is calculated to be EMFDEPENDANT VARIABLESThe dependant variable is the EMF generated by the potatoes when arranged in series.It will be measured with a Vernier Lab Quest which is connected to the computerThe potential difference will be calculated, between the two extremes of the electrodes (anode and cathode = Zinc and copper plate). This given criteria is same for both the set up.The social unit of measure is the Volt. The readings will be taken for two hours for each.CONTROLLED VAR IABLESThe apparatus used was same throughout the experiment, since this will reduce mean deviation and the calculations will be done with respect to the other readings therefore, error is lessThe temperature in the room was controlled and was kept at 300K and this is with respect to the room temperature and not the temperature of the potato.The emplacement of the potatoes and the beakers was done in series since that would accurately judge between the EMF discrepancies between boiled and unoiled potatoes.Similar sized potatoes were taken in the hopes that the concentration of phosphoric acid would be similar therefore the readings will not have much discrepancy relative to each other.When the potatoes were boiled, all were boiled to the same temperature, for the same amount of time, and were removed from the water bath at approximately the same timeThe apparatus was cleaned thoroughly out front performing each experiment so as to reduce discrepancies in the readings, with respect to other readings.The amount of insertion of the Iron and copper into the potato was same throughout all the experiments at 30.1cm.The potatoes were all sliced up into the following dimension 5 x 2 x 2 cm and were sandwiched between the electrodes.The part of the potato exposed to the air was covered with Parafilm in order to prevent the potato from drying and reduction.CONSTANT VARIABLEThe copper plate and the iron nails used were the same throughout the experiment, so was the location where the experiment took place so as to keep all errors due to pressure and temperature constant.The same water bath was used to boil the potatoes, in order to keep the potatoes at constant temperature with regard to each other.The time taken for recording the EMF generated from the potatoes in both cases was taken as 2 hours.DATA AND GRAPHSACTUAL REACTIONS TAKING PLACEOxidationZn Zn Zn++ + 2e- , E0 = 0.76V,ReductionCu 2H+ + 2e- H2 , E0 = 0.00VOverallZn + 2H+ Zn++ + H2, E0 = 0.76VREASON FOR THE REA CTIONS AND ANALYSIS OF DATAMy results conclude that Zn electrode and the reduction of hydrogen at the Cu electrode are the dominating reactions which give rhytidectomy to EMF, Current Density and the potential difference.Maximum power delivered by boiled potato cells with ruptured membranes may reach values an order of magnitude high than that generated by untreated potato. When the information was compared, a direct relationship between the ability of the potato battery to deliver power and GAII (Galvanic apparent internal impedance, a trait related to both the salt bridge function of a given tissue delineated between electrodes and to the battery internal resistance properties) becomes evident. The significant increase in electric energy generation with membrane destruction shows that the ionic diffusivity through the tissue bridge between electrodes is the reason behind this phenomenon, as effective diffusivity of protons increases with membrane rupture. In contrast, the rate of proton flux is reduced when cell membranes are intact probably due to the tortuosity of the extracellular space as well as the similar reduction in the concentration of the electrolytes per unit volume when the intracellular fluids do not actively participate in the ionic transport.CONCLUSIONFrom the data and the graphs it is clearly visible that my hypothesis was inaccurate, since the EMF generated did not decrease with the boiling of potatoes, but increased and also lasted longer under the same external load compared to the fresh potato. The potato serves only as a mass medium for the movements of electrons from the zinc electrode. The potato supplies the protons thus generating electricity. Fresh potatoes do it, but the strong internal resistance makes it very inefficient. Boiling the potato destroys membranes and possibly some(a) part of the cell walls, thus reducing significantly the internal resistance and increase 10 folds the generation of power. The bio electrolytic lo w power electrical energy source introduced in this study brings an dimension to the utilization of the globally fourth most abundant crop accessible essentially all over the world, made of solid components and requires low financial investment compared with solar or conventional batteries.EVALUATIONThe experiment was conducted in a non-ideal conditions which could lead to errorsSystematic ErrorThe Parafilm had foreign bodies or had an unwanted flaw which could have not given me an accurate readingThe reading of the electronic agreement may also have a manufacturing defect, thereby pencil lead to a difference in the times taken.The lab quest may be defective or may have been inaccurate which may have given inaccurate results.The microwave may not have operated throughout the five minutes at 800W, thus leading to a mutant in the temperature achieved by the potato in order to break the cell membrane.Random ErrorsThere might have been a gap or hole in the Parafilm leading to increas ed drying of the potato thereby affecting the EMF generated.Human parallax error when adjusting the volume of the solutions by taking only the lower meniscus.The apparatus used may contain remnants of other chemicals leading to an impure solution.The temperature of the room was taken to be constant, but there might have been fluctuation in the actual temperature thus leading to heat loss, and null results.The electronic balance might not have been zeroed out to take the new reading or might have had impurities which could have given inaccurate readingsThe microwave may not have run for exactly 5 minutes, thus leading to different boiling degreesEMF of the potato was taken every 3 seconds from the start of the reaction and thus the increase/decrease would not be exactly accurate, leading to a discrepancy in data.