Here are the materials and the procedure for building the voltaic pile. The design of the Voltaic Pile is based upon Volta's Pile.

Materials

• Tin snips for cutting zinc and copper plates
• Ten copper plates .508 mm thick (5 cm wide and 5 cm long)
• Ten zinc plates .305 mm thick (5 cm wide and 5 cm long)
• Two insulated copper wires with alligator clips
• 81 circular cotton cosmetics pads (5 cm in diameter)
• Electrolyte solution (hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, and citric acid)
• Glass stir stick for mixing electrolyte
• Three non reactive glass bowls for containing the electrolytes
• Glass dish as an insulated base
• Scissors
• Masking tape

Procedure

1. Use the masking tape as a cutting guide for cutting the metals with the tin snips.
2. Cut the zinc strip into nine 5x5 cm squares.
3. Make a tabbed square by cutting one zinc strip into a 5x5 square with a 2x1cm projection on one side of the square (see Figure 1).

Figure 1

Courtesy of E. Stanton

4. Cut the copper strip into nine 5x5 cm squares.
5. Make a tabbed square by cutting one copper strip into a 5x5 square with a 2x1 cm projection on one side of the square (see Figure 2).
6. Take out 81 cotton pads.
7. Cut the cotton pads into 4x4 cm squares with scissors.
8. Pour or mix the electrolyte into the non reactive glass bowl.
9. Soak the cotton pads in the electrolyte solution; then remove the pads and squeeze out all excess liquid.

Figure 2

Courtesy of E. Stanton

10. Place the tabbed copper plate on the bottom of the non reactive glass dish..
11. Place one zinc plate on top of this copper plate.
12. Place one cotton pad on top of the zinc plate.
13. Repeat steps 10-12 nine additional times ending with the tabbed zinc plate.
14. Attach one alligator clip with wire to the bottom copper plate.
15. Attach the other alligator clip with wire to the top tabbed zinc plate.

Now the alligator clips can be connected to the multimeter, and the experiment can commence.

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