A Simple Oxygen Detector Using Zinc-Air Battery

摘要

The construction of a simple oxygen detector using a zinc-air battery as an oxygen sensor is described. It is a user-friendly device that can be employed in various laboratory activities in both junior and senior high schools. A short circuit can be introduced to reduce the O_2 concentration in the air-diffuser layer of the battery that causes a decrease in the voltage. This phenomenon provides the basis to make an electrical device that can produce a voltage increase whenever oxygen gas is present. If the surroundings do not contain any available oxygen gas, the voltage in the zinc-air battery would remain static. In addition, time-to-operate of an electric component attached to the battery can also be used for semiquantitative determination of O_2 concentration in a gas sample.