Quick Question about 'Galvanic Cells' and Voltage (1 Viewer)

[ChopperT]

When I placed a zinc electrode and a copper electrode into the same beaker containing sulphuric acid, I belive the zinc displaced the hydrogen, and this produced a voltage.

However, when I touched the bottoms of the zinc and copper electrodes together, the reaction stopped, and the voltage went down to zero.

Does anybody know why this might have been the case?

 

[Del 153]

perhaps it was because the elctrons needed a liquid medium (the sulfuric acid) in which to move.