Make a Copper sulfate and zinc battery - "Gravity" design

[ENGFragStorm]

must add batteries to my shopping list ...

[BlackMagicProd]

hey nurdrage can you tell me the difference between Copper Sulfate and Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate? i cant find a good explaination on google. thanks and please reply.

[MrSuednym]

@BlackMagicProd The Penthydrate has water, specifically 5 water molecules. The CuSO4 he has here is Hydrated. Anhydrous CuSO4 is either pale gray or white.

Source :Wikipedia

[BlackMagicProd]

@MrSuednym many thanks!!!

[GTHaroFITBMX]

10 people's batteries failed

[filippe999]

add a caption

[Umiale]

can you just buy zink sulphate because i don't have any copper sulphate or sulfuric acid.

[syafiq930]

@Umiale sulfuric acid you can get it from water battery ......to make a concentrated just boil it until you get a white fume form.......that all ^__^

[GNRlova23]

When you say i have to use a weak sollution of sulfuric acid to make the zinc sulfate, what level on the PH scale are we talking about?

[Sleddog116]

You can get zinc (at least in the US) by holding a penny over a Bunsen burner. Pennies have zinc centers encased in copper. Since zinc has a lower melting point than copper, it will become a liquid as it is heated. When the copper becomes pliable, the liquid zinc will drip through the copper plating. The problem with this method is that it is very time consuming, and destroying pennies is illegal (though there is some debate about this when science is concerned).

[rookiemcm77]

@Sleddog116 Very nice tip, thanks.. However if anyone else is worried about the legality, it only could be a problem to destroy pennies of that country, in that country... so, if you're in the USA use a Canadian penny, if you're in Canada use a US penny... Science must prevail...

Feel free to apply this to mice as you can now classify them as invaders, just don't attempt this "logic" for human trials... unless you really like prison guards, cages, and/or electric chairs...

[labmaster49]

do you change your voice for the video? just wondering

[yellowmetalcyborg]

How does the oxygen accept electrons?

What's the chemical reaction that allows this to happen?

[prankmakers95]

is the only one type of chemical in batteryes a zink sulfate chemical with is the black stuff that comes out and is it not dangurous and does it change anything is the battery is charged or not?

[LoutsianaFK]

It tried to make zinc sulfate using the copper sulfate method and it took forever and after i thought it dissolved all the zinc in the copper sulfate solution, it was still blue so I added some more zinc but practically nothing more happened and it stayed blue. Any thoughts?

[Insanefreaked]

So the Copper Sulfate takes the oxygen's place by taking the electrons?

[Ivanlamperouge]

can I use copper II acetate?

[spotlightman1234]

@Ivanlamperouge yes but you have to also use zinc acetate as the electrolyte.

[anuthehigh]

I just made copper sulfate, if i remove it from the water will it dry and crystallize. I used sea salt, a penny and a zinc crew and a dime.

[normixxxx]

how do make that kind of crystals?

[deepakvideo1]

@normixxxx just add water

[Robotehrobot323ALT]

For the Zinc Sulfate

Does it have to be a block of zinc or could you use a zinc powder

[Qwertybobz3]

@Robotehrobot323ALT how would that even work?

[andread98]

SAW IS BACK

[FuzzyBlueFreddy]

Why the creepy voice? :S

[ronterry1076]

Fascinating! Yet another reason why us nerds rule the world!

[zoomerlawns]

Damn Nurdrage, you scary!

[yellowmetalcyborg]

You can try to make an alminium air battery. It works on the same principle that a zinc air battery works off of. I wonder if copper sulfate would increase the reaction rate in the battery that I made.

I'll try that : )

[Almontmarine]

1.02 - 1.04 bits of copper floating & flying around in the ZnSO4 solution... XD

[pbtwentythree]

How long will this battery last with the copper sulfate in it?

[Ivanlamperouge]

can I use any acid than zinc sulfate?

[Almontmarine]

@Ivanlamperouge

I hate to talk about this, but I'm sorry, ZnSO4 isn't an acid. I think only those with H+ ions and have a conjugate base are known as acids. So there.

[Ivanlamperouge]

@Almontmarine oh. Thank you for correcting me. I forgot about that H

[Almontmarine]

@Ivanlamperouge

Haha. I am always on the lookout for chem mistakes. :)

[ignilc]

@henzilla27 you're great

[Almontmarine]

@henzilla27

Haha. Any concentration of acid will do, just that you have to be careful when you add the zinc in (if very conc.). :)

[Hiei102493]

I was looking at the different Sulfuric Acids for sale on alfa.com, and I can't figure out which to buy. Which do you suggest?

[amsoil4]

Dear NeardRage,

For the copper sulfate solution, what are the proportions of copper sulfate to water?

Thank You,  Amsoil4

[69iron69]

I recreated your battery. It works okay I get .89 volts and .14 amps. I made one modification I zinc plated a copper plate instead of a pure zinc plate, it works well. Im going to try and recharge it and see how that goes.

thanks

[123samic]

can you boil the zinc sulfate or do you have to evaporate it to get a powder

[spotlightman1234]

Dear Nurd rage,

I was wondering if one were to use galvanized nails i a guessing that the battery would use up all the zinc if so how long will it last

[spikespeigel]

im loving the battery videos! keep em coming

[drdanielcs]

what would adding 30% h2o2 and iodine to the zinc sulfate do, it should create o2 shouldnt it.

[uut0]

i made a battery with diet coke lol

[tacoman8200]

how?

[uut0]

you gotta put a piece of copper and a piece of zinc in it to work as the electrodes and thats it :D. mine made about 1.5-2V but the screw that i used for the zinc electrode got tarnisched after some time.

[jeffxu1234567890]

actually i tried it, but using two beakers, one with Zinc nitrate and zinc electrode and the other with copper sulphate and copper electrodes. Then I connected them using a salt bridge of potassium nitrate soaked filter paper. The voltage stabilised at around 1.1v (constantly increases and stops there)

[dmikrut]

maybe u can make a vid of u growing the blue stuff because it looks very interesing

[aibomart]

@dmikrut He did. It's in the description.

*facepalm*

[dmikrut]

@aibomart that was over 5 months ago...

[snipesnrifles]

@dmikrut he did

[canttouchdazz]

@dmikrut its copper sulphate cyrstals its a long and boring process

[p3rs0n42]

@dmikrut I'm not sure if NurdRage showed how he grew one, but it's not rocket science. Just search out "Making Copper Sulfate Crystal"

It does take time, though, as the crystal grows slowly!

I remember doing it in year 8 or something... but I don't remember how

[myvids98]

@dmikrut he did....the previous video

[skittlesmonkey]

would it be possible to use salt bridge electrolysis and use the salts of lesser metals?

[asmyers69]

you really are awsome i love this stuff

[wolfcrapshit]

wow to much science, i am dumb at that! :P, but why at my school when we do stupid stuff, we sometimes use hydrochloric acid and when it touch my hand nothing happens, is that because is not too strong to be corrosive?

[bloodtrack12]

@wolfcrapshit most likely

[sciencoking]

dilute hydrochloric acid is quite harmless actually, as long as you wash it off within one minute.

[freakin1random]

woah, FeS2??? Thats fools gold xDD

[jbohbot1]

no he is talking about zinc sulfate witch is ZnSO4

[freakin1random]

no that would be stupid, the oxygen would just take all the electrons...

[freakin1random]

could you put H2O2 in it, or would it fuck up the zinc sulfate, which i dont think it would....but

[Zakftrbogdans]

That's cool, thanks 4 information :)

[brookie2664]

Err... When its at amp-meter mode, the period is at the right which means it has... 120 amps?

[NurdRage]

milliamps

[brookie2664]

oh.

[bryanfuel]

@NurdRage its pronounced soder not solder :P

[NurdRage]

@bryanfuel i'm pretty sure it's milliamps, i have the meter right in front of me.

[bryanfuel]

@NurdRage 1:22 "ive already soldered a wire to the zinc plate"

its pronounced soder the "L" is silent

any way love your videos

[NurdRage]

@bryanfuel why did you reply to my statement on milliamps?

[bryanfuel]

@NurdRage i just wanted to talk to you and i was lazy so i picked the first comment by you i saw XD

[NurdRage]

@bryanfuel So... you're lazy... but you still decided to spend time to correct me on the pronunciation of a word that people pronounce differently in different countries and thus there are is no truly "correct" pronunciation? rather oxymoronic.

[bryanfuel]

@NurdRage hahaha good point there

why are you in uk or something?

[gcarrillo1313]

@NurdRage You tell em!!

[LithiumChicken]

@NurdRage ZING!! 

[CrazyMonkey124]

@NurdRage I'm lazy...You didn't capitalize "rather".

[CrazyMonkey124]

@NurdRage It was a joke, I was mocking him. I love your videos, you're awesome. :P

[Dawnfang11]

@bryanfuel see words such as "bolder, colder etc." therefore, it should be pronounced Solder not Soder. Although I have noticed americans say Sauder. like (SAW-derr)

[bryanfuel]

@Dawnfang11 ya i pronounce it (SAW -derr) cause i think thats how you pronounce it in America

but i think europe pronounces it (Sohl-derr)

[wazzy198]

@Dawnfang11 The unfortunate downfall of the English language is that you cannot base the pronunciation of one word on the pronunciation of another. For example, compare the words, "seat" and "sweat," the addition of one letter should not change the pronunciation entirely. Also, take the word "read." It can be used both as "I read that book yesterday," and "I will read that book." Same spelling, same verb, different pronunciation.

[notsosmartnow]

@bryanfuel not in the real english speaking world

[bryanfuel]

@notsosmartnow about the solder thing?

[ThumpsterF]

"our objective is to explore science, not to make something useful"

hahahaha xD made me lol =P

[thoosejakob149]

who cares about hes voice ? if you understand it who gives a **** bout the voice...

[Misho5z]

i heard your real voice i just sped it up 2x and o have ur real voice! hahaha

[BlueBajs]

This is probably his voice. You know, there is people with even darker voices.

[pheonixgunman]

@BlueBajs its might b a girl for all we know.

she might be using a voice masker.

[gehtomacgyver]

@pheonixgunman ty my point exactly

[pyropakman]

In making the zinc sulfate solution, it appears as though you took the casing of the lantern battery, which is made of zinc, and somehow made it into a rectangular plate.

How did you do that? Just compressed it with a vice?

[NurdRage]

I cut it

[pyropakman]

@NurdRage- sweet. I'm assuming its thin enough to cut with standard scissors then?

Thanks again.

[NurdRage]

yup, go for it :)

[XAmitozX]

awesome

[simbathewildcat]

cool video!

[adamalden]

That's fuckin cool man...

[deathboy5878]

is there a way to use this energy to power something

[jbohbot1]

when u said "a solution of copper sulphate" did u mean a solution with copper sulphate desolved in water?

[dacooter]

is it that hard to type two extra letters every time you say "u"?

[jbohbot1]

yeah your right i hate it when people do that!

[DemonioBolado]

Can I acelerete the reaction of the copper sulfate with zinc metal?

[NurdRage]

as mentioned in the video, its not the type of reaction that determines current, it's the surface area. If you want to accelerate the consumption of the copper electrodes you need to use bigger electrodes.

[tvanymesic]

Hey, I'm watching science channel right now, and they are using thermite to burn a guitar. How does one make thermite? could you make a video of it (though, not sure how safe that would be, lol)?

[rofl082193]

uh cant you just search it on youtube lol

[mrmeowmix2300]

Its a mix of aluminum powder and iron oxide (rust). Search youtube for a tutorial.

[austin777136]

you make termite by mixing (by weight) two parts iron oxide to one part aluminum.

[qhoa1385]

Woot SCIENCE FTW

Well u know

i don't like all the mathematic in science

but i just love watching all the experiment

[ufaxx]

Great video! I recommend You add the cell performance test. The way to measure how good a cell can perform, is to measure the maximum power output. That can be done by connecting it to a variable resistor, and measuring both voltage and current. When You obtain several points on the V-I graph (known as the "Current-voltage characteristic"), the "knee" is where the power is at max, i.e. this is where the power P=U*I is maxed out. And this is a measure how much power a cell can put out.

[blackbeltjohn63]

Some diagrams or pictures would be helpful when you're describing what is acting as the electron donor, acceptor, what the role of the copper sulfate is, etc. Redox reactions and voltaic cells have always confused me...

[NurdRage]

when we get our website going the information will be presented there.

[blackbeltjohn63]

Cool, thanks :D

[derkozten]

You MUST get that website!!! you have shown a lot of cool things

[SwiftOverKill]

It was sad to find out Alfa Aesar will not sell to individuals. They could of saved a catalog if I would have known. I am now going to try and see if I can get a research license through the company I work for. Wish Me luck! Since. I guess Ill have to get my GED now so I can take some chemistry classes. Finally something to work for. I wanted to be a marine biologist. But I think research chemist will be just as cool. Do you know of any good text books?

[XxVinValenxX]

this is what we learned in one of our science classes.. but only from the textbook.. (now i finally understand.. if only i'd seen this sooner =P)

[Jonthekid93]

Can you show us how to make Ethanol you kno just for educational purposes

[NurdRage]

so many videos and guides on the internet already. I don't think i can do a better job.

[Jonthekid93]

ok ill try and look harder thanks awesome vids

[SwiftOverKill]

Very Cool!!

[Danny19921125]

Is copper sulfate harmful that need to wear glove to touch or it just like a rock and touch with bare hand?

[NurdRage]

yes its harmful.

not ultra-burn-your-hand-off harmful, but still slightly harmful.

[TheDrakenZ]

considering it's used to make actual batteries i can imagine its fairly acidic, much more so than citric acid. So yes, i'd assume it'll burn you.

[Stonewall337]

Why do you use a voice changer? It makes these otherwise cools vids just a little less neat.

[NurdRage]

alot of videos have subtitles, you can turn those on and turn off the sound.

[st3v3yBoY91]

Can u make a video teaching me how to extract DMT from grass? thatd be great :)

[coelhoteixeira]

Dr: What the diference between hidrocloric acid and cloridic acid?

Thank for one answer,and for the lessons.

[NurdRage]

Google "hydrochloric acid" and "chloric acid"

I think the only difficulty was getting the spelling right, lots of information on both once you can use the right searches.

[xapemanx]

cool

[hurcule911]

do you wear a mask during these experiments ?

[NurdRage]

yes, safety is of primary concern, even if the experiment itself is safe, i'm in a lab where there are other experiments by other researchers going on all the time. So safety gear is essential.

[PoseidonXIII]

awesome video!

[peppoj]

Very nice! I learned allot!

[ussyless]

its not as useless as you make out, im sure you could get zinc from a dead battery or from other sources so yeah =P anyways nice video

[chefdices]

cheers

[eichfeld007]

if you used a copper mesh with a wire attached would the battery be more efficient??

[NurdRage]

"Efficiency" would be the same, but the amount of current you get would be higher.

[joewilder]

I've always been hoping to find a way to use the ground outside to build some kind of large battery of capacitor to store electricity. Perhaps dig a large pit and fill it with scrap metal of some kind. I have no idea where I'm going with this, but I have almost unlimited land and want to find a way to store electricity.

[NurdRage]

Research a topic called "Vanadium flow cell" :)

[jayfulf]

Why do you alter your voice?

[TyShredder]

why do you care?

[jayfulf]

it's called curiosity.. you know? human nature?

[AfricanMadman]

If ever a nut-job was to abuse his videos for making something dangerous,

[improvking123]

@jayfulf the vatican is after him for preforming witch craft :)

[WannabeGroundhog]

I love your videos! I'm a chemistry buff and have always had a hard time obtaining certain metals, chemicals, etc. Your videos have been a tremendous help to me, and have started me on finding new ways to get what I need. I hope to be able to repay you somehow, keep up the amazing work!

[mahsunirocks]

awesome video buh its just like school over again

[elapichoo]

dude .. i would love to do this on chemestry ...

we just read and write.. thats boring...

[mahsunirocks]

Truee XD

[deilax]

Man your videos are great! Been subscribed for a while now and I have enjoyed every one.

Question though, why do you mask your voice?

[LittleC0dy]

Very Very Good!! Thanks!!! Can't wait for your next Vid!!!

[megafeltch]

nice video, i buy zinc sulfate at the garden store 500g for $10

[joouyang]

its science within science!!!

[Mattdangerisawesome]

hey, why do you mask your voice on the videos?? btw awesome.

[noobownedrofl]

cool

[landofmidnightsuns77]

You broke it up and made more of a deal about it because I told you it was pretty :P

Ah well, it was bound to be done by SOMETHING... Earthquake knocking it off the table.... the end of the world... or all the chemicals that have any use suddenly explode.

[dbc616]

I can't wait until more battery videos!

[babylover112]

LOL destroy a battery to make a battery

[nebonit]

How Long does that battery last?

[NurdRage]

Can't really say, because it depends on how it's used, just like regular batteries. When the zinc metal is dissolved, or the copper sulfate is completely used up and becomes clear, the battery dies.

But an additional limitation is that the layers don't stay seperate forever, when the copper sulfate diffuses up to the zinc the battery internally shorts, and becomes unusable.

[nebonit]

Cool, I gonna have to try this one

[154ox]

dude i got started on chemistry like a month ago and i cant help but watching these things over and over and over...

and thanks for shattering the cool looking blue crystal just for us, i feel special

[godsend420]

fuck the haters NR i like the vids of course so do most of your subs. its not about the battery but the science of exploring and creating 5*

[phusx8]

gedsend you are right :P

[NurdRage]

thanks :)

[Hexpigge]

I like this :D... its awesome

[OrganicWebhead]

awesome =D

[ginogrz]

Nice video. A fun battery I was able to make was a hydrogen peroxide/acid solution with a magnesium anode and copper cathode. It's a pretty violent battery as the reduction potential for H2O2 and H+ is pretty high, and the reduction potential for magnesium is pretty low. The acid I used (hydrochloric acid) also reacted with the copper, turning the solution a bright green. It is pretty short lived since the magnesium gets eaten pretty fast, but I was able to get up to 1600 mA with .5 V.

[milotickz]

I don't blame you for shattering the blue crystal, man.

[TehSmexican]

Copper sulfate is a very awesome looking crystal. Sorry, I'm random.

[TheTwelfthDoctor]

Don't apologize for being random,

randomness is the reason most people are here on youtube, i think. ;-)

[Alexrose12345678910]

Most people are here on youtube to watch videos. That's not at all random, since EVERYONE does it.

[TheTwelfthDoctor]

what has the fact that everyone does it to do with randomness? and what happens if you spend more then 1 hour here: you're going to watch random vid's , right?

and the only thing i said was don't apologize for being random.....

:~)

[Alexrose12345678910]

Nonono, that isn't the only thing you said. I don't have a problem with that. It's just that your second statement is entirely wrong. Especially when you see the most viewed videos are music videos; most people who visit youtube clearly come here for a reason other than to find random videos.

[TheTwelfthDoctor]

True, randomness probably isn't the main reason people are here, but maybe they stay for the random things, there is a lot more random then most people generally think.

Also isn't music the most random thing there is ; totally random sounds (and all sounds can be used) which combined make a song......

Think about it. ;-)

Ps isn't it totally random that we are talking about it while the vid is about a "gravity battery" thought that was funny :-]

[Xlay16]

wow, awsome

[omarhell1]

third 2 comment WSOME VIDS DUDE

[iVolkswagen]

Looks like you "H8" English, too.