The “Ideal Battery”: Testing Electrolytic Cells Under Various Conditions

Overview

This project is designed to test various electrolytic cells under different environmental conditions to test their efficiencies. An electrolytic cell proposes an alternative to nonrenewable batteries due to the hydrolysis of water. The ideal battery can pass a constant current through heat and hu midity while maintaining a constant voltage. If electrolytic cells can use these conditions, further testing could be done to create a clean-energy battery. A controlled environment was built to create a humid and warm environment for both types of electro lytic cells. Through testing magnesium sulfate heptahydrate and potassium chloride at various voltages and environmental conditions, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate proved to maintain a semi-constant voltage and current under heat and humidity trials. Also, various voltages of a power source were tested and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate maintained a stronger current. In later testing, the 9V batteries were replaced with a small solar panel and the tests were repeated. The magnesium sulfate heptahydrate created a strong electrolytic cell and could be used to power these cells in the future. A potential error could be the size of the electrodes or the controlled environment.

Competition history

• JSHS 2024 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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