The Building Blocks of Battery Technology: Using Modified Tower Block Game Sets to Explain and Aid the Understanding of Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 97; no. 8; pp. 2231 - 2237
• Main Authors: Driscoll, E. H, Hayward, E. C, Patchett, R, Anderson, P. A, Slater, P. R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc 11.08.2020; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Activity; Batteries; Cellular telephones; Charging; Educational Resources; Electric vehicles; Feedback; High rise buildings; Ions; Lithium; Lithium-ion batteries; Partial Vision; Rechargeable batteries; Student attitudes; Hands-On Learning/Manipulatives; Materials Science; Oxidation/Reduction; Oxidation State; Solid State Chemistry; Electrochemistry; Demonstrations
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00282

While Li-ion batteries are abundant in everyday life from smart phones to electric vehicles, there are a lack of educational resources that can explain their operation, particularly their rechargeable nature. It is also important that any such resource can be understood by a wide range of age groups and backgrounds. To this end, we describe how modified tower block games sets, such as Jenga, can be used to explain the operation of Li-ion batteries. The sets can also be utilized to explain more advanced topics such as battery degradation and challenges with charging these batteries at high rates. In order to make the resource more inclusive, we also illustrate modifications to prepare tactile tower block sets, so that the activity is also suitable for blind and partially sighted students. Feedback from a range of groups supports the conclusion that the tower block sets are a useful tool to explain Li-ion battery concepts.