Electricity With Salt

CONWAY 1.18 PHYS ELEC

Question

Will the amount of electricity that the water conducts increase as the amount
of dissolved ionic minerals increases?

Abstract

The purpose of my experiment was to see how electricity could be made using
ionic minerals in water. I was trying to figure out if I added more ionic
minerals to pure water, if the conductivity of the water would increase. My
hypothesis was that if I add a half teaspoon of salt to the water each time, the
conductivity of the water will increase because ionic minerals when placed in
water make electricity. My results were correct, as I increased the amount of
ionic minerals each time, the electricity in the water went up about .25 volts. In
conclusion, ionic minerals do create electricity in pure water. The more
minerals you add, the more electricity there will be.

Hypothesis

If I put a half teaspoon of salt into pure water and increase it each time, then
the electricity that the water conducts will increase because ionic minerals
make it possible for electricity to flow.

Procedures

Gather all my materials and place each one on a flat surface.

Make a circuit. Place the AA batteries into the battery box, make sure to put them in the right way.

Get the wire and cut off 2 pieces of wire, one wire about 10 inches long and the other one about 20 inches long.

Use the wire stripper to strip about 1-2 inches off each end of each wire

Then use the wires attached to the battery box and connect them to the wires you just cut. Use the red wire from the battery box and use the wire tape to connect the
longer wire to it. Then use the black wire from the battery box and use the tape to connect it to the 10 inch long wire.

Get your light bulb socket and screw the light bulb into the socket until it is secure. The socket has two mental conductors on each side of it.

On one of them, use the wire connected to the black wire and wrap the stripped wire around and under the mental conductor. (If you cant wrap it good enough, you can
use a screwdriver)

On the other side of the light bulb socket, there is another mental conductor. Cut another piece of wire, this time 15-20 inches long.

Use the wire stripper to strip both ends of the wire. Wrap this wire around the mental conductor on the other side of the light bulb circuit

Now, wrap the wire tape around the stripped wires at the end of the wires.

Get the pure glass of water and place it near the two wires with tape on them.

Get your teaspoon and put a half teaspoon of salt on the spoon and put it in the water.

Put the wires into the water, but dont let them touch. Observe how much the light bulb lights up.

Get your voltage meter and set it to 10 volts.

The voltage meter comes with a red metal conductor to test how much electricity is going through the circuit. Use this red conductor and touch it to the metal on the light
bulb socket.

Look at the numbers on the voltage meter, it will tell you how many volts of electricity the salt in the water is conducting.

Repeat steps 12-16, but adding another half teaspoon each time. Do this at least 4 times.

Record the data you got.

Then, repeat steps 12-16 with the SAME amount of salt (half a teaspoon) 5 times. Do it 5 times with another half teaspoon added. And then so on until youve done it 4
times. (Until youve reached adding 2 teaspoons)

Materials

Wires

Wire tape

Light bulb

Light bulb socket

Screw driver

Double A Batteries

A glass of pure water

Pink organic salt (any kind of salt is fine)

A teaspoon

Voltage meter

Notebook to record data

Battery Box

Wire stripper

Experiment

Results + Data

Results + Data
Salt
Amt.

Trial:

1/2

0.25

0.26

0.25

0.24

0.26

0.25

0.25

0.24

0.26

0.51

0.52

0.50

0.50

0.51

0.49

0.52

0.50

0.50

1 1/2

0.74

0.77

0.75

0.73

0.74

0.75

0.75

0.75

0.76

Variables

Independent: the different amount of salt put into the water

Dependent: how much electricity the water will conduct based off of how
much salt is in the water

Controlled: the amount of water, same circuit, same wires and wire tape,
type of salt

Conclusion

My hypothesis was supported because the conductivity of the water did

increase as the minerals increased. When 2 teaspoons of salt were added into
the pure water, the electricity was the greatest. When teaspoon was
added, that had the least amount of electricity.