18
8
A lemon. A nail. A penny. Insulated wire. Put them together
and what do you get? Power.
Here’s how: Cut two pieces of wire and strip the insulation
off the ends. Wrap one piece of wire around the nail. Wrap
the other piece of wire around the penny. Stick the nail and
one edge of the coin into the lemon.
Voila! You’ve just built a battery that could power a small
lightbulb.
Seems easy, right? No big deal? That’s because batteries
and electricity are part of your everyday life.
But peoplewere stunnedwhen Italian scientist Alessandro
Volta built the world’s first battery in 1800. Using cardboard
soaked in salt water and discs of zinc and copper, Volta
produced a continuous stream of electric charges. It was a
moment that changed the world.
Packets
of Power
