Q&A for How to Create a Potato Battery

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Why do I have to use galvanized nails and copper nails instead of ordinary nails?

Community Answer

You have to use those nails because ordinary nails don't have the metal needed for the electrodes.

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Question

Do I need to use specific colors of wires or can I use only red and black wires?

Community Answer

Any wire is fine, the only thing that needs to be different is the metals you are inserting into the potato.

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Question

What type of potato do I have to use? Is it Irish or sweet potato?

Community Answer

Any type of potato will do, but the size depends on what you are trying to power.

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Question

What can a potato battery power?

Community Answer

It can power anything under the range of voltage the potato produces.

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Question

Could I use different vegetables or fruits for this experiment?

Community Answer

I don't know about all of the other vegetables and fruits, but lemons work great for this project.

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Question

What setting should the voltmeter be on?

Community Answer

Start with something that is around 10v. Don't select a value that is too small, such as 1v, or you could damage your meter. Always start out with a setting larger than you think you need, and work your way down.

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Question

How far does the copper coin need to be?

Community Answer

About halfway. If you are using a US penny, push it in so you can only see Lincoln's head.

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Question

Can you use multiple potatoes?

Community Answer

Yes, just make sure to connect them with a conductor. Try researching on circuits for reference.

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Question

What type of nails should be used?

Community Answer

Galvanized nails are common at any hardware store. While you could probably find copper nails at most, as well, you certainly can find thick, solid copper wire (not stranded) at at most any hardware store. That will also work just fine.

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Question

Can I use aluminum wire instead of galvanized nails?

Community Answer

No, aluminum is not magnetic, and it will not flow through the potato to the clock.

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Question

What is the independent variable?

Community Answer

In a scientific experiment, the independent variable is the variable you manipulate to see what happens. This guide isn't setup like an experiment, so there is technically no independent variable. If you wanted to setup an experiment using potato batteries, you might choose to try out the power generation of different varieties, like red or yellow potatoes. Here, you would keep everything else the same, but just change potatoes. Potato type would be your independent variable.

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Question

Is this up-to-date information?

Community Answer

Yes. You can verify that by looking elsewhere online.

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Question

Is there a fruit I can use to create a battery instead of a potato?

Community Answer

You can use lemons, strawberries, or any fruit with acid in it. Google for more info.

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Question

Could a house be powered with potato batteries?

Community Answer

No. The amount of power that a household requires is far beyond what could be supplied by potato batteries.

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Question

Does the coin have to be 100% copper to make a potato battery?

Community Answer

If you ever noticed, pennies do have a bit of zinc in them, so no, the coins do not have to be 100% copper. But they have to be mainly copper.

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Question

What observations will be made?

Community Answer

That not only potatoes can give electricity and that it can also help us in the future.

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Question

Does the coin need to be fully copper?

Community Answer

Yes, the coin has to be made of copper to work properly.

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Question

Can I use a copper wire from a set of headphones for this project?

Community Answer

Yes, as long as you can put it in the potato and the alligator clip can attach to it.

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Question

Should the potatoes be cooked?

Community Answer

Raw potatoes work best when it comes to making batteries.

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Question

Will other vegetables work?

Community Answer

Any citrus fruit or vegetables will work.

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Question

Can a potato battery power a car?

Community Answer

Yes, if it is a very small car requiring micro or milliamperes or less (as in as the size of your finger).

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Question

Do I need a voltmeter for the first one?

Community Answer

Yes, the voltmeter is important. You'll need it if you want to know the amount of volts.

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Question

Do I go to the store and get potatoes and use them without washing them?

DominicBungane

Community Answer

Yes, you can use the potatoes without washing them. For better results, the potatoes should be clean and dry as to prevent the terminal from short circuiting and reducing voltage.

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Question

Can I light a light bulb with one potato?

Community Answer

This depends on the size of the light bulb you want to use. If it is very low wattage, you may be able to. If it is large, then no.

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Question

Does it have to be a clock?

Community Answer

No, any low-power electronic device can be used.

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Question

Should it be boiled?

Community Answer

No, it should not be boiled because then the juice will evaporate, causing the potato have less juice to produce electricity.

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Question

Can I test a potato battery with a baked potato and a boiled potato?

Community Answer

Yes. My daughter is actually doing this as her science fair project and those are the exact potato types that she is using.

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Question

If I touch the potato when the wires are in it, will it shock me?

Community Answer

The voltage generated is too small to affect humans more than slightly. There is no way that you would be shocked by it.

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Question

How could I increase the voltage?

DominicBungane

Community Answer

Voltage can be increased the same way ordinary battery voltage is increased. Connect the potatoes in series, making sure the negative terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the other potato.

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Question

What if I don't have a copper coin?

Community Answer

A copper nail is fine. Anything made of copper can be used. Everything else is not optional.

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