NurdRage - 2014-12-20
In this video we’ll show how to make an AA battery. Warning: Potassium hydroxide is corrosive, zinc is a heavy metal, and manganese dioxide is an irritant. Wear gloves when handling them. Get a 5 mL plastic syringe (the one i got was from a company called “BD” and the catalogue number was 309603). Discard the plunger and cut off the tip. Also cut the back up to the 5 mL mark. Get a 5 by 3 cm sheet of zinc metal about 0.5 mm thick. Cut into the 3 cm side a series of cuts about half a centimetre long. Roll the sheet so it fits into the syringe tube. Don’t roll it too tight so it falls out. It should be big enough that it stays in by friction. Once you have the right diameter, pull it out and bend inward the tabs we cut earlier.This should now form a zinc can. Prepare the cathode powder by mixing 8 grams of manganese dioxide and 3 grams of carbon powder. This will provide enough cathode powder to make about ten batteries. The carbon is just a conductor for the oxidant which is the manganese dioxide. The best manganese dioxide to use has the gamma type crystalline structure. The more common beta type crystalline structure will still work but will give lower current. So try and get the gamma type if you can. If you make your manganese dioxide electrochemically then it will be of the gamma form. While manganese dioxide made pyrolytically is usually of the beta form. Now get some filter paper or a coffee filter and cut a rectangle, about 5 by 10 centimetres. To that pour a five centimetre line of about one gram of the cathode powder. Also insert a 7 centimetre length of 2 mm thick pencil lead into powder. Roll that into the paper and fold over one side so it doesn't spill out. The paper serves as a separator between the zinc and the manganese dioxide. If they came in contact the battery would short out. Now get the zinc can we made earlier and insert the cathode roll into it. Cut off or tear any excess paper. If there is too much cathode powder that it doesn't fit then you’ll need to pour some off. If there is too little then you’ll need to take it out and add more. Now insert the assembly pencil end first into the syringe container from earlier. Make sure the pencil lead goes through the hole in the tip. Then break off the exposed pencil lead and leave 2 mm for electrical contact. Fill the battery with electrolyte by dropping the whole thing in solution of 30 g of potassium hydroxide in 50 mL of water. Leave it for several minutes to soak in and then take it out and leave it on some tissue for another several minutes to drain out any excess. And that’s your battery. Mine had an open circuit voltage of about 1.412 volts and two of them could power a cheap digital clock. Now I know some of you are wondering what the electrochemistry is behind the alkaline battery. Under load the zinc anode reacts with the potassium hydroxide electrolyte to give zinc oxide and two electrons. These electrons then go through the load and at cathode they travel through the carbon to the manganese dioxide. The manganese dioxide reacts with water to produce manganese (III) oxide and hydroxide ions. The reactions stops and the batteries dies when either the zinc or the manganese dioxide is consumed, or when the waste products build up and block further chemistry.
Looks delicious. I might prepare few for a dinner.
have you ever measured the capacity? I see the voltage is a tad under but how about those mAHs?
im curious too
Not better than a commercial battery from a store? Until the zombie apocalypse hits and all the stores are empty! I like this video!
@seigeengine says the person intentionally harassing me for months
@Leonard Greenpaw @seigeengine for fucks sake guys, just marry each other okay!
@Pwn3dbyth3n00b just means, that nurdrage has to upload videos that tell you, how to create these materials from everyday stuff
video is for knowledge only not for making ....ok so sult your mouth
Kid, a snow apocalypse is only is only non fiction, it will never happen
Amazing!
Once again, I'm reminded why I first decided to become a chemist, awesome stuff like this.
I'm always happy when I see you have a new video. :)
I'd love to sit around with you and Nighthawkinlight and just hear all the stories you'd tell.
This is the last video for 2014, i'm winding down for Christmas and new years, then i hope to be back mid January. I plan to launch a TubeStart fundraiser campaign at that time too.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays (and whatever other things people celebrate this time of year.) And have a happy new year! Get out there and spend it with your family and friends. If you don't have friends, make some... or clone some.
Take care. I'll see you all then.
Nice video, pretty much interesting :)
So.......when are the new vids coming? http://imgur.com/bw9DDfM
What's your next video going to be about?
@NurdRage "battery" :(
The cells themselves aren't rechargeable. If you want to make your own rechargeable cells then you're better off making lead acid ones. These, however are extremely risky to make as you'll be handling potent acids and the batteries will have an electrolysis effect and produce Hydrogen as you recharge them, meaning they are also potentially explosive as well as containing a harmful irritant. Oh, not to mention toxic heavy metals...
Hey, where did you get the containers for the powder? The ones with the screw-cap.
Imagine getting stopped at the airport with these syringe batteries
Eh, Eh batteries. Because he's Canadian. Get it? Eh?
@Magneto! I don't really appreciate you making fun of Canadians eh. I am sorry to have to say something but you sir are not very nice, and I am sorry you feel that way. <3 True Canadian ;)
@Shawn Strickland So that's the way you feel aboot it eh? ;)
She is a girl ;)
@Ezzeddin Høgden No, I'm pretty sure Nurdrage is a guy. His silhouette has shown before in a video.
YES CANADIANS ALWAS SAY EH AND IT SOUNDS LIKE AA BATTERIES? IS THAT THE JOKE?
@NurdRage Could you explain to me how batteries "explode"? I've often had cheap batteries swell up and rupture, leaking this white powdery stuff that makes my skin itch.
I'm guessing that the powder is possibly the Potassium hydroxide, but what I'm wondering is how the batteries end up swollen.
Thanks in advance.
Yeah, I've always wondered why my batteries would leak the acid after a while :p
@***** Ah, I see, Thanks for the explanation. :)
@***** Makes a lot of sense. I kinda figured it was something along those lines but I wasn't sure if I was thinking properly.
Always thought it was the chemicals mixing and becoming acidic to the casing causing it to leak through it but that never explained why it stopped with the battery and never went any further into a whatever device it is in.
I think thermal runaway only happens in lithium ion/polymer batteries.
Hunter Fenrisson I9
I'm so glad you're back. When I started watching your videos I was in high school and now I'm just about at the end of the Bachelor's in chemical engineering. You were part of the experiences that made me realize how powerful chemistry can be. It's videos like this that take what is essentially technological witch craft and break them into their parts that really shows the nature of science. Thanks!
So glad that you're back to making videos again. I've been missing your videos! Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! :D
Thanks man. I'm so glad you're still making videos.
@***** X^D
@***** Theres a video on youtube where someone reverses the audio modification and shows his real voice, its a guy
@***** I just always hear the voice and think TIME FOR CHEMISTRY if I heard a normal voice male or female I wouldn't
@***** Its a guy, and its obvious. Go watch his Hot Ice video where he sticks his hand in a jar of it.
@*****
He simply calls her by her name and does not say it's his wife. Never heard than in previous videos either.
Thank you so much, this is going to be my project in electrochemistry
I've always wondered, what do you do for a living? I'm guessing something chemistry related and the videos are done in your spare time at work?
Can you make another video to explain the steps visually, It'll really help me describe it to my chemistry class when I'm presenting the project.
One of the best, concise videos from you ever! Thank you. This is really interesting experiment.
This is my favourite vid of yours for some reason! Thanks NurdRage, and have a very merry christmas.
Absolutely fantastic. Thank you for doing what you do! ^-^
All hail NurdRage. Could you substitute NaOH for KOH?
@Hunters Association Classic troll on nurdrage...
@Chemkidd
My bad, you are correct. Thanks for pointing it out.
@JayMark2049 @Chemkidd
Except the batteries wont be able to provide the current needed to start a car.
@*****
That is exactly what I said first.
You were right at your first comment. Every battery has its internal resistance. And by the Ohm's law current equals proportion of voltage and resistance. Car batteries have very low internal resistance compared to AA batteries.
Really glad you continued to make videos even after the initial funding was gone. Hope this can continue for a long time with the support button! ( everyone should go give a couple dollars and as a great man said give up those two tacos)
NurdRage..i freaking LOVE your vids!
they make me want to know more and to learn this stuff...too bad im way too stupid to figure out the science, but still it makes me interested and I can watch smarter folks like you do these videos all day long.
thanks for the hours and hours of entertainment..or infotainment i guess.
This is actually a useful thing to learn!
Thank you.
Very interesting. Wish a short bit was included on the chemical reaction algebra.
Thanks for all your hard work nurdrage. I look forward to your future videos in 2015!!!
@NurdRage So much for not coming back :P
Glad to see you're still making videos. I hope you are back for good this time.
I love this! So badass you made a battery you can use!!
you feed my love for chemistry thsnk you
Awesome video. Great application of chemistry
Thanks for the subtitles!
Although i'm not hearing impaired i prefer reading to hearing stuff so this helps me out.
Good work on the video to, liking the intro, short and to the point.
Nice video ! How long could you power something (like a clock) with this battery ?
Cool, thanks. However, that clock consumes a very small amount power. It would be nice to include a demonstration that shows the batteries limits. Power a light, or a motor or short circuit it and measure the current.
hey cool video! I was wondering if it is possible to do a video on the properties of white gold powder. Some people believe it has mythical powers but I think it's just a powder among other powders.
Glad to see you are still making videos! It broke my heart when you stopped.
How many amps did you get? love you videos, thanks for sharing
Have you done any load tests on the battery to see how many milliamps (or amps) it puts out?
Thanks for the video, I'm doing this AA battery for my chemestry class. Could you please give me the chemical equations? English is not my native language so it's a bit hard to understand what's on the last paragraph of the vid's description. I tried the google translator but it wans't very accurate. Care to give me a hand please?
I spot weld my zinc cans, pull a vacuum before wetting, press to pack after wetting, and seal with epoxy to finish.
This is great! Thanks for this video.
That was awesome!
Great video. Happy holidays everyone!
hi, may I know how much amps/current does this battery produce?
This kind of thing is really one of the best things about Youtube. Thanks. Meanwhile, what happens if you send a charge from a battery charger through this?
Fantastic- this feels yet again like an honest-to-God NR video that blows my mind. Props sir!
Awesome video! So happy your back!
As always, awesome video!
Is the concentration of the electrolyte going to affect the voltage of the cell?
Hell yeah Nurd rage is back in form!!
Dude this is awesome. Is there any way you could make it stronger? Different electrolyte maybe?
electronicsNmore - 2015-02-04
Very Good Video!