How to Make a Simple Electric Generator

Did you know that 2 potatoes can power a small LED clock?

Like many people I love my potatoes baked twice with butter, sour cream and chives. But did you know that they also produce electricity?

This is a great science project for kids to show how nature is a wondrous thing and can provide electricity where you least expect to find it.

Things You'll Need

• 2 large baker potatoes
• 2 galvanized nails
• heavy copper wire
• 4 alligator clips
• low voltage LED clock (the type that uses the 1-2 volt button batteries)

Instructions

1. open the clock and remove the battery.

   Make a note to yourself as to which sides of the battery compartment were for the positive and negative side of the battery. Most have the positive side up, but you need to be certain in order to wire the clock to your potato correctly.

2. Cut 3 8 inch sections of the heavy copper wire.

   Attach an alligator clip to one end of two of the pieces of wire

   Attach an alligator clip to each end of the third piece of wire

3. Mark your potatoes #1 and #2
   On one end of each Potato you will insert 1 nail
   Then on the opposite end of each potato you will insert 1 short piece of the heavy copper wire.

4. Take one of the 8 inch length of the heavy duty copper wire and insert it into potato #1 on the opposite end of where you put the galvanized nail.

   Use the alligator clip on the other end of the wire to clip onto the (+) positive terminal in the clocks battery compartment

5. Use the piece of wire that has 2 alligator clips and clip the first clip onto the Nail on potato #2

   Use the alligator clip on the other end of the wire to clip onto the (-) negative terminal in the clocks battery compartment

6. 

   Insert one end of the heavy copper wire into potato #2 on the opposite end of the galvanized nail and use the alligator clip to attach to the nail on potato #1

   Set the clock

Tips & Warnings

• A potato battery is considered an electrochemical battery cell. This means that chemical energy is converted to electricity or electrical energy. This electrical transfer is caused by the spontaneous transfer of electrons. The zinc in the nail reacts with the copper wire.

• If the wire and nail were to touch each other they would only create heat, but since they do not touch each other inside the potato the end result is a mild electrical current which runs the clock.

• There is a link to buy the potato clock kit below if you would like one instead of trying to find an LED clock

• Do not allow children to cut the wire or attach the alligator clips

Resources

• Toysmith Potato Clock kit