If you don’t already have these materials around your house, you can purchase them at a hardware store nearby. You can substitute the copper strip with several pieces of copper wire stuck together or bent in a zig-zag fashion to reach the desired width.
Instead of cutting the can, you may purchase aluminum strips from a hardware store. Aluminum foil is not an effective replacement for an aluminum strip; don’t use it!
Ideally you’ve cut the strips long enough that their tops sit above the soda, extending slightly past the rim of the cup. If the strips do not extend past the cup’s rim, you can bend each strip lightly so that it hangs off the edge of the cup.
Be careful not to let the alligator clips touch the soda. It doesn’t matter which color of wire attaches to which strip.
A variation on this recipe is to add one teaspoon (4. 93 ml) of salt, one teaspoon (4. 93 ml) of vinegar, and a few drops of bleach to the water instead of one tablespoon (14. 79 ml) of salt. If you choose this variation, be careful, as bleach is a hazardous chemical. Metal strips, electrical lead wires, and voltage meters are available at hardware stores. You should also be able to find lead wires at shops that sell electrical components.
Be careful not to let the alligator clips touch the water. It doesn’t matter which color attaches to which strip.
How many screws you use will depend on how many ice cubes your tray is meant to hold. The tray in this example can hold 14 ice cubes. As long as they aren’t copper, you can use any type of metal screw. Zinc-coated (galvanized) or aluminum work well. [6] X Research source As for size, aim for screws that are around one inch in length.
You can either pre-cut the copper wire into pieces long enough to wrap around each screw (with a bit extra for the hooks), or you can work with it long, cutting it as you finish each screw.
Be careful not to let the alligator clips touch the water. It doesn’t matter which color attaches to which terminal.
You can purchase the metal plates, wires, and voltage meter at a hardware store.
If you’re unsure of how to connect items to your specific voltage meter, check its instruction manual.
If the meter doesn’t show a reading, reverse your connections: attach the copper plate to the terminal that the aluminum plate was connected to, and vice versa. If you still struggle to get a reading, check the connection and wiring. If everything is working well, it could be that the plates are oxidized. To remove oxidization, clean the plates with a pencil eraser or steel wool.
