How to Experiment with Getting Power From Potatoes
Batteries operate by generating electricity using a copper and a zinc electrode, which reacts to an electrolyte, sulfuric acid. Potato juice contains water soluble chemicals that can cause a reaction with one or both of the electrodes. While potato batteries are easy to make, they don't generate more than 1.5 volts each. This isn't enough to turn on a small light. But the more potatoes you use, the more power is available to operate small electrical appliances.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 potatoes
- 2 short pieces of heavy copper wire
- 2 common galvanized nails
- 3 alligator clip/wire units (alligator clips connected to each other with wire)
- Low-voltage LED clock that uses a 1- to 2-volt button battery.
Instructions
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1
Number the potatoes as "1" and "2." Insert one nail into an end of each potato, and insert one short piece of the copper wire into the opposite end of the potato.
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2
Remove the battery from the battery compartment of the clock taking note of where the positive and the negative points of the battery went. The "+" sign indicates positive and the "-" sign indicates negative.
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3
Connect one alligator clip unit to the copper wire in potato No. 1 to the positive terminal in the clock's battery compartment.
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4
Connect one alligator clip unit to the nail in potato No. 2 to the negative terminal in the clock's battery compartment.
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5
Connect the third alligator clip unit to the nail in potato No. 1 to the copper wire in potato No. 2, and set the clock.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The more potatoes you use, the more electricity you'll be able to generate. You can also use citrus fruits in the same way to make batteries.
