12 Volt Car Battery, Large Aluminum Block, Electrodes

Code Number: 5E40.61

Demo Title: Arcing of Two Electrodes

Condition: Fair

Principle: Ion Exchange at an Electrode

Area of Study: Electricity and Magnetism

Equipment:

12 Volt Car Battery, Large Aluminum Block, Electrodes: Copper; Stainless Steel; Steel; Aluminum; Others if desired.

Procedure:

Connect as shown using the large block as one electrode and the metal rods as the other electrode. Scratch the rods across the surface of the block. Note the color of the sparks of each different rod. These colors are characteristic of the ions released by the different metals.

References:

B-445: "Weld Nails," DICK and RAE Physics Demo Notebook.

Disclaimer

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Instructional Resources and Lecture Demonstrations

5E40.61 - Arcing of Two Electrodes

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