Page 2 - Monthly Archives: November 2012
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- November 04, 2012
Making a battery from a potato is a great way to learn about how simple chemical reactions can power a circuit. The supplies you need for this project are very inexpensive, and it only takes a few minutes to put it together. Making a battery using a potato is a simple activity, but it can help to give you a greater appreciation for and understanding of what's going on inside of more complicated batteries.
What You Will Need
For a very basic potato battery, all you need is a potato, a knife, two short pieces of copper wire, a shiny penny and a galvanized nail or screw. If you want to chain together multiple cells to make a more powerful battery, then you will need a penny and a nail or screw for each cell. A multimeter is optional for this activity, but having one ready will allow you to more easily test the battery that you are making.
Putting Together the Battery
Start off by cutting a small slit near one end of the potato. Tightly wrap the copper wire around the penny two or three times,
