POTATO POWER

CAN A POTATO PRODUCE ENOUGH ENERGY TO POWER A CLOCK?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RESEARCH…………………………………………………………………………...I

PURPOSE…………………………………………………………………….….……II
HYPOTHESIS………………………………………………………………….….…III

DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………………...…IV

MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES…………………………………………….......V

RESULTS………………………………………………………………………....….VI

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………….….….…VII

BIBLIOGRPAHY………………………………………………………….….……VIII

RESEARCH

• The potato battery is a battery made out of a potato • The potato is unique because it is the only known vegetable that contains both electrons and protons. These two molecules are the second and third largest ingredients in electricity • By adding electricity’s most abundant ingredient-copper-and its fourth and final ingredient-zinc-a fresh batch of electricity can be made and extracted • A potato battery is an electrochemical battery, otherwise known as an electrochemical cell. • An electrochemical cell is a cell in which chemical energy is converted to electric energy by spontaneous electron transfer • The zinc in the nail reacts with the copper wire • The potato acts as a sort of buffer between the zinc ions and the copper ions • The zinc and copper ions would still react if they touched within the potato but they would only generate heat • Since the potatoes keep them apart, the electron transfer has to take place over the copper wires of the circuit, which channels the energy into the clock • Do not eat potatoes after they have been used as batteries

I
HYPOTHESIS

I believe that when the potatoes are used with the other materials such as copper and zinc, enough electricity will be produced to power the clock.

II
MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES

The materials I used for this experiment include: • 2 potatoes