Grade Category: 4-6

Team Size: 1

Subject Area: Earth/Energy/Environmental Sciences

Project Type: Experimental

Language: English

Summary: The purpose of this experiment is to find an electrolyte that will produce more electricity in a Voltaic Pile. The voltaic pile was created for the experiment using 10 cells. The hypothesis is that a more acidic electrolyte will increase the amount of electricity produced in a voltaic pile than a weaker acid electrolyte. This hypothesis was tested by an experiment designed with three variables, for which there were three trials. The variables were citric acid, acetic acid, and hydrochloric acid, the electrolytes. Each electrolyte was tested to identify which electrolyte created more electricity. During the experiment, the voltaic pile was connected to a multimeter and the electrical output was measured for each variable. Then, the results were compared to see which electrolyte variable produced the most electricity.

Software Tools Used: Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Notepad, Macromedia Dreamweaver 8.0.2, SnagIt version 8.0, Quandary 2, HotPotatoes 6.

Hardware Tools Used: Digital camera and a flashdrive.

Source of the Idea: Emmanuel Stanton

Special Skills: Computer literacy skills and software skills in programs such as Microsoft Office, Quandary, and SnagIt.

Awards:

• None for this project
• Summa cum laude award for 2006 project (Bell Canada)
• Summa cum laude award for 2007 project (SaskPower)

Scientific Logbook for Emmanuel Stanton: Click here