STEM A potato clock Did you ever make a potato clock as a kid? You know, that science experiment where you jam copper and zinc wires into potatoes and connect them with miniature jumper cables to power a clock? Did you know that the reaction that makes elementary school potato clocks tick could also fight infection and disease? In published research, Professor Jeremy Gilbert found that when titanium and magnesium particles are galvanically coupled, like zinc and copper in a potato clock, an electrochemical reaction develops that produces a cell-killing effect.
If applied to medical treatments, it may lead to treatment options for all kinds of infections—from superbugs to cancerous tumors. “What makes the potato clock work is the large voltage difference between the copper and zinc. It causes a current to follow through the potatoes to drive the clock. There’s a voltage difference between the two metals that makes it possible.
The bigger the difference, the stronger the reaction. Magnesium and titanium have nearly a two-volt difference. It’s a very strong coupling and it produces a powerful effect,” says Gilbert. That powerful effect—a reductive electrochemical reaction that generates reactive oxygen intermediates—kills cells in close proximity.
Gilbert, an expert in biological implants like hip replacements, believes that one way these findings could be put to use in infection prevention for titanium implants. Infections that take hold on the surface of implants are notoriously challenging to defeat. They withstand even the most powerful antibiotics.
By adding magnesium to the titanium surface of an implant, the implant itself is given the ability to kill bacteria before they are able to harm the patient. This research also reveals an application for killing cancer cells. Our body normally has mechanisms to stop cells from dividing uncontrollably, but when it fails to do so, cancer develops.
The negative voltages that Gilbert and his fellow researchers apply induce cellular apoptosis, or cell death, so it may be a way of killing cancer cells that don’t get the message to die off naturally. This fundamental breakthrough provides a foundation for scientists to build upon and is a strong example of how science that can be understood for something as simple as a potato clock can be used to blaze a new trail in other areas.
Gilbert says, “It’s a novel idea to use an electrochemical process to adapt implants to control infections or treat other conditions. These findings will be the underpinning for new ideas in healthcare.”
Why can a potato power clock?
Updated on March 31, 2019 A potato battery is a type of electrochemical cell, An electrochemical cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. In the potato battery, there is a transfer of electrons between the zinc coating the galvanized nail that will be inserted into the potato and the copper wire that will be inserted another part of the potato.
How does a potato powered clock work?
A potato clock is powered by acid within the spud reacting with a positive and a negative electrode. When the reaction occurs, electrons flow between the materials, generating an electric current. The negative electrode, or anode, in a potato battery is often made from zinc in the form of a galvanized nail.
Is it possible to power a clock with a potato?
A potato clock is a clock that is run by converting chemical energy into electrical energy which is later used to power a clock. Zinc and copper strips in combination with the potato can be used as a battery.
How does a potato power things?
Electricity has become a necessity in many different aspects in a person’s life. Electricity occurs when the number of protons or electrons in an atom are too high, causing the attraction to particles of the opposite charge. This is how an electrical current occurs.
- Generally, people know that the electricity that powers their homes come from power plants.
- However, if all other methods fail one day, there is a way to generate electricity using a general household grocery item: a potato.
- Potatoes are a mix of starch and salts.
- Electric current is conducted between two metals inserted in the potato by forming a salt bridge between them.
This occurs because the salt in the potato releases ions, allowing them to travel through the wire connecting the two metals. In short, a potato can act as a battery.
How long do potato clocks last?
A potato battery will last until the potato goes bad. It usually lasts up to 2-5 days. How would someone make a potato powered clock?
How do you get electricity from a potato?
It might be a surprise for a lot of people who aren’t into science much but potatoes can produce electricity. Electricity is produced when an electric current is generated due to the attraction between electrons and protons (when an electric charge moves from negative terminal to the positive terminal).
- Like various forms of energy resources, potatoes can produce electricity for us too.
- There are many people using the potential of potato to make green electric energy which can run items such as a clock and small bulbs.
- Potato is a component of our natural diet.
- It gives us energy by providing us with starch.
Starch helps to produce glucose and carry out aerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration generates energy in the form of ATP for us and ATP is then used in a variety of ways throughout our body. Potatoes contain salts which are also required for the normal homeostatic (chemical and physical balancing) function of our body.
How much voltage does a potato produce?
Potato Power Voila—electricity. Each raw potato produces about.5 volts of energy—which isn’t much. In recent studies, though, actual scientists (not science teachers) have discovered that by simply boiling the potatoes, the tubers can produce about 10 times as much energy!
Why does a potato clock need two potatoes?
A potato clock runs by converting chemical energy into electrical energy, which is then used to power a clock. The potatoes, in combination with zinc and copper strips (which act as electrodes), act as a battery. Most people aren’t aware that this is possible, which is what makes it so interesting.
Check out a video of a potato clock: The energy comes from the chemical change in the zinc when it dissolves inside the mild phosphoric acid content of the potato. The energy does not come from the potato itself. What happens is that the zinc is oxidized inside the potato, exchanging some of its electrons with the potato acid in order to reach a lower energy state, and the energy released provides the electrical power.
Let’s imagine first that we have one potato and the zinc and copper strips are inserted into this potato, with a wire connecting the two strips. This potato battery works as follows: 1) The zinc atoms in contact with the potato dissolve in the presence of the acid.
- This causes some electrons to separate from the zinc atoms.
- As a result of this, positively charged zinc ions, and negatively charged electrons, are produced.2) The electrons produced in the above reaction travel out through the zinc, through the wire, and into the copper strip also inserted in the potato.
They do this because they are attracted to the positive hydrogen ions in the potato, located on the copper side (these hydrogen ions are there due to the acid content of the potato). Since the electrons cannot pass through the potato itself, they pass through the wire joining the zinc and copper strips.
These electrons then combine with these positive hydrogen ions (on the copper side) and produce hydrogen gas, which then bubbles away. Note that the above chemical reaction happens spontaneously. It is self-driven. The electrons are forced to travel an external path, and if this external path is connected to an electrical device, such as a clock, it powers the device.
Two potatoes can be connected together in order to double the voltage, the same way you join two batteries together to double the voltage. This voltage is sufficient to power the potato clock. Return to Science Toys page Return to Real World Physics Problems home page
Why do boiled potatoes produce more electricity?
They found that by simply boiling the potatoes for eight minutes, it broke down the organic tissues inside the potatoes, reducing resistance and allowing for freer movement of electrons – thus producing more energy.
Why does a potato battery work?
Credit Mogens Jacobsen As one of the most ubiquitous crops in the world, the potato is poised to feed the entire world, Along the way, scientists discovered that the popular staple of many people’s diets may also have potential to help power it as well.
A couple years ago, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem released their finding that a potato boiled for eight minutes can make for a battery that produces ten times the power of a raw one. Using small units comprised of a quarter-slice of potato sandwiched between a copper cathode and a zinc anode that’s connected by a wire, agricultural science professor Haim Rabinowitch and his team wanted to prove that a system that can be used to provide rooms with LED-powered lighting for as long as 40 days.
At around one-tenth the cost of a typical AA battery, a potato could supply power for cell phone and other personal electronics in poor, underdeveloped and remote regions without access to a power grid. To be clear, the potato is not, in and of itself, an energy source.
What the potato does is simply help conduct electricity by acting as what’s called a salt-bridge between the the two metals, allowing the electron current to move freely across the wire to create electricity. Numerous fruits rich in electrolytes like bananas and strawberries can also form this chemical reaction.
They’re basically nature’s version of battery acid. “Potatoes were chosen because of their availability all over including the tropics and sub-tropics,” Rabinowitch told the Science and Development Network, They are the world’s fourth most abundant food crop.” But besides being rich in phosphoric acid, spuds are ideal in that they’re composed of sturdy starch tissue, can be stored for months and won’t attract insects the way, say strawberries, would.
- Additionally, boiling the potato breaks down the resistance inherent in the dense flesh so that electrons can flow more freely, which significantly bumps up the overall electrical output.
- Cutting the potato up into four or five pieces, they researchers found, made it even more efficient.
- The potato battery kit, which includes two metal electrodes and alligator clips, is easy to assemble and, some parts, such as the zinc cathode, can be inexpensively replaced.
The finished device Rabinowitch came up with is designed so that a new boiled potato slice can be inserted in between the electrodes after the potato runs out of juice. Alligator clips that transport the current carrying wires are attached to the electrodes and the negative and positive input points of the light bulb.
What is the hypothesis of the potato battery?
Problem How does the acid content of different fruits and vegetables (apples, potatoes, limes and lemons) affect the electricity (volts) produced as read with a voltmeter? Background Research The first battery was created in 1799 by Alessandro Volta.
Today batteries provide the power for an amazing variety of devices including everything from flashlights to robots, computers, satellites and cars. Inventors and researchers continue to improve the battery, designing batteries that last longer and that are friendlier to our environment. I chose this topic because I have an interest in making batteries out of things we use every day, such as fruit and vegetables.
Batteries generate electricity through a chemical reaction between two different electrodes and one electrolyte. An electrode is a conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an object, substance, or region and an electrolyte is a liquid or gel that contains ions and can be decomposed by electrolysis.
A battery produces an electric current when its terminals are connected to each other to form a circuit. All batteries contain two electrodes and an electrolyte, which produces the chemical reaction through the electrodes resulting in a current. In “dry” batteries, like those used to power small toys (AA, AAA batteries for example) the electrolyte is a paste of powdered chemicals.
“Wet” batteries, like those in cars, contain a liquid electrolyte. A battery’s voltage depends on the metals that are used in its electrodes. In a standard battery, there is a strong metal case which usually consists of powdered zinc and a form of magnesium oxide, both mixed with an alkaline electrolyte.
The electrolyte causes a chemical reaction in which the zinc becomes zinc oxide and the magnesium oxide gains electrons. All batteries have a positive and negative terminal. Electric current is a flow of atomic particles called electrons. Certain materials, called conductors, allow electrons to flow through them.
Most metals (copper and iron as examples) are good conductors of electricity. Electrons will flow from the negative electrode of a battery, through a conductor, towards the positive electrode of a battery. Volts(voltage) is a measure of the force moving the electrons.
Use of Copper and Zinc as the electrodes, and Sulfuric acid (the liquid in a fruit or vegetable) as the electrolyte is a proven method for this process. The components of a fruit or vegetable that affect the amount of electricity produced is the liquid in the fruit or vegetable itself. The liquid is composed of sulfuric acid, water and a various other liquids.
Sulfuric acid is the only thing that the fruit produces or is used to make a battery work. My hypothesis is that: If the electrolyte source is changed (potato, apple, lime, lemon), then the production of energy (measured in volts) using a lemon will produce the highest voltage because the acid content in the fruit or vegetable will produce electricity when in contact with the electrodes (both zinc and copper).
How many potatoes would it take to power a car?
This idea comes from a popular middle school science experiment, where you can light up a small light bulb with just potatoes. To jump start a car you need 12.6 volts.12.6 divided by 0.8 is 15.75 potatoes or 16 rounded up, but for this hack we’re using 20 potatoes.
Why does a potato clock need two potatoes?
A potato clock runs by converting chemical energy into electrical energy, which is then used to power a clock. The potatoes, in combination with zinc and copper strips (which act as electrodes), act as a battery. Most people aren’t aware that this is possible, which is what makes it so interesting.
Check out a video of a potato clock: The energy comes from the chemical change in the zinc when it dissolves inside the mild phosphoric acid content of the potato. The energy does not come from the potato itself. What happens is that the zinc is oxidized inside the potato, exchanging some of its electrons with the potato acid in order to reach a lower energy state, and the energy released provides the electrical power.
Let’s imagine first that we have one potato and the zinc and copper strips are inserted into this potato, with a wire connecting the two strips. This potato battery works as follows: 1) The zinc atoms in contact with the potato dissolve in the presence of the acid.
This causes some electrons to separate from the zinc atoms. As a result of this, positively charged zinc ions, and negatively charged electrons, are produced.2) The electrons produced in the above reaction travel out through the zinc, through the wire, and into the copper strip also inserted in the potato.
They do this because they are attracted to the positive hydrogen ions in the potato, located on the copper side (these hydrogen ions are there due to the acid content of the potato). Since the electrons cannot pass through the potato itself, they pass through the wire joining the zinc and copper strips.
These electrons then combine with these positive hydrogen ions (on the copper side) and produce hydrogen gas, which then bubbles away. Note that the above chemical reaction happens spontaneously. It is self-driven. The electrons are forced to travel an external path, and if this external path is connected to an electrical device, such as a clock, it powers the device.
Two potatoes can be connected together in order to double the voltage, the same way you join two batteries together to double the voltage. This voltage is sufficient to power the potato clock. Return to Science Toys page Return to Real World Physics Problems home page
Why does a potato battery work?
Credit Mogens Jacobsen As one of the most ubiquitous crops in the world, the potato is poised to feed the entire world, Along the way, scientists discovered that the popular staple of many people’s diets may also have potential to help power it as well.
- A couple years ago, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem released their finding that a potato boiled for eight minutes can make for a battery that produces ten times the power of a raw one.
- Using small units comprised of a quarter-slice of potato sandwiched between a copper cathode and a zinc anode that’s connected by a wire, agricultural science professor Haim Rabinowitch and his team wanted to prove that a system that can be used to provide rooms with LED-powered lighting for as long as 40 days.
At around one-tenth the cost of a typical AA battery, a potato could supply power for cell phone and other personal electronics in poor, underdeveloped and remote regions without access to a power grid. To be clear, the potato is not, in and of itself, an energy source.
What the potato does is simply help conduct electricity by acting as what’s called a salt-bridge between the the two metals, allowing the electron current to move freely across the wire to create electricity. Numerous fruits rich in electrolytes like bananas and strawberries can also form this chemical reaction.
They’re basically nature’s version of battery acid. “Potatoes were chosen because of their availability all over including the tropics and sub-tropics,” Rabinowitch told the Science and Development Network, They are the world’s fourth most abundant food crop.” But besides being rich in phosphoric acid, spuds are ideal in that they’re composed of sturdy starch tissue, can be stored for months and won’t attract insects the way, say strawberries, would.
Additionally, boiling the potato breaks down the resistance inherent in the dense flesh so that electrons can flow more freely, which significantly bumps up the overall electrical output. Cutting the potato up into four or five pieces, they researchers found, made it even more efficient. The potato battery kit, which includes two metal electrodes and alligator clips, is easy to assemble and, some parts, such as the zinc cathode, can be inexpensively replaced.
The finished device Rabinowitch came up with is designed so that a new boiled potato slice can be inserted in between the electrodes after the potato runs out of juice. Alligator clips that transport the current carrying wires are attached to the electrodes and the negative and positive input points of the light bulb.
How does a potato power a light bulb?
The potato acts as an electrolyte which means it enables the electrons to flow through it. When the nail and pennies are connected to a potato in a circuit, the chemical energy is converted to electrical energy which gives enough power to turn on a small light.
How much voltage does a potato produce?
Potato Power Voila—electricity. Each raw potato produces about.5 volts of energy—which isn’t much. In recent studies, though, actual scientists (not science teachers) have discovered that by simply boiling the potatoes, the tubers can produce about 10 times as much energy!