this is just a bit of fun for anyone that wishes to play.

the challenge and the rules are simple

 

you have to make your own battery(s), enough to keep a simple 4mm red LED lit for as long as possible.

it must be a stand alone device with no other power input (so a rechargable battery is out of the question), and weigh no more than 250 grams.

 

the timer starts as soon as the LED is lit, and stops as soon as it can longer be seen as lit in a dark room, the object is see who`s LED stays lit the longest

 

honesty is essential obviously. please post your results here along with methods used, and Good Luck

Surely just making the largest electrochemical cell would win? It's pretty simple...

maybe, but who will win?

it has to be under 250 grams total, and left alone once lit.

LED voltages are between 2.5 and 3 volts, blowing the LED up (burning it out) is a FAIL.

I for one am keen to see the results and methods people come up with.

you`re allowed more than one attempt, but oviously, Post your best one

Are resistors or other eletrical parts aloud?

with the exception of hookup wire and the LED, nope.

 

although feel free to do one using those parts as well if you like, and post results, they won`t be used in the overall challenge tho.

OK MAJOR INTERVENTION HERE...

LET ME POINT OUT THAT AN LED IS NOT LIKE A LIGHT BULB!

IT DOES MATTER WHICH WAY YOU CONNECT IT!

IT HAS A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WIRE AND WILL NOT WORK WHEN USED THE WRONG WAY ROUND!

SO BEFORE YOU THINK YOU`VE FAILED, TRY WIRE IT THE OTHER WAY ROUND!

 

sorry for caps but it was important

It's a Light Emitting Diode, of course it does. Anyway, anyone who didn't try it the other way round is pretty stupid anyway.

Well this challenge is open to anyone, and not everyone knows what a diode is or how it works, esp one that emits light.

most physics 101 students are familiar with light bulbs, a LED is NOT a light bulb.

the challenge is NOT an electronics one (so I explained the potential LED problem) it`s a Battery Challenge

 

if you bulb wasn`t working, would try it "the other way around"?

of course not! and so anyone that didn`t know the difference between a bulb and LED is NOT stupid! the ones that pretend to born Knowing all this stuff quite obviously would be

 

hmmm.... can't remember, is the long side negative or positive. And what about the flat side?

a good way to tell, is actualy look inside the LED itself through the colored plastic, as a general rule, the CUP shaped part is the Cathode

I made a battery before, using a pencil iron core.

cool, see how long ya can keep an LED lit using it and play the game with us

the more the better

ok mines done and working.

it was activated today at 12:53 pm GMT

 

pictures here: http://www.yt2095.net/experiments/battery.jpg

 

and without the camera flash, you can see the LED lit here:

 

http://www.yt2095.net/experiments/battery2.jpg

 

when a few more have done theirs and are lit, I`ll post what I made it with and how long it lasted (or didn`t LOL).

And tidy your desk up, you messy puppy.

Nope, I`m leaving that job as the Booby prize for whom ever comes in last

lol YT, u have a similar box to where i keep my electronics in

Nice work I have to say

hehehehe, it was just the best I could come up with at the time really, but it`s still lit well over 3 hours now! I`ll be WELL PLEASED if it makes it overnight!

YT2095 said in post # :

Nope, I`m leaving that job as the Booby prize for whom ever comes in last

 

I'll go get the Mr Sheen then.

Don`t forget the HAZMAT suit and respirator

 

anyway, I kinda figured you as a Mr.Muscle sort of guy

UPDATE:

 

5 Days and 1 hour 20 mins in. it`s STILL LIT! )

reminds me of the holiday Chanuka, lol

it may go for a long time if u did the salt bridge correct and had enough metal (assuming it is a galvonic cell, lol whats so funny?)

It`s finaly died, the electrodes corroded off.

it`s worked now for a good 5 days and 22 hours.

( 5 days longer than I expected it to LOL

 

I used magnalium as the cathodes and brass foil as the anodes.

and a weak solution of sodium hydroxide as the electrolyte.

 

so, 5 days 22 hours is the time to beat

am i allowed to use a galvanic cell? say Zn/Cu or ferris ammonium sulfate? weigh under 250gms you say........

sure you can, use any cell you like, it must be 250g or less and use no external power. that`s about it really