Science Project On Electricity In A Potato

Creating an electric battery out of an ordinary potato is a popular science project for middle-school students. In most commercial batteries, electricity is generated by a chemical reaction between two electrodes (copper and zinc) and an electrolyte (sulfuric acid). The liquid in a potato can act as the electrolyte and generate electricity between two electrodes. This experiment teaches students about chemical reactions and electricity and encourages observational and analytic skills.

Step 1

Formulate your hypothesis. Can a potato produce electricity? Why or why not? What makes a battery work?

Step 2

Insert the copper and zinc electrodes into the potato so that they are close together but not touching.

Step 3

Connect one lead to the copper electrode with a clip, then connect the other end to the multimeter. Repeat with the zinc electrode.

Step 4

Measure the amount of voltage the potato produces on the multimeter. The potato will probably generate between 1 and 1-1/2 volts, about enough to power a LED light. Record your findings in the notebook.

Step 5

Report your conclusions. Answer some or all of these questions: How much voltage did the potato produce? What chemical reaction took place to make electricity possible? Is the voltage produced enough to power a small appliance? What are some practical applications of this experiment?

Step 6

Try the same experiment with different electrolyte sources, such as lemons, tomatoes or apples. Do all foods produce the same amount of voltage?