the potato light bulb experiment

Can boiled potatoes light up a light bulb?

The potato doesn't actually produce any electricity. ... It would take several potatoes connected together to power even a single LED, much less an entire light bulb. The power output of a potato battery can increase as it rots, but boiling a potato provides only a momentary boost .

How does a potato charge a light bulb?

Zinc is a commonly used metal for anodes in batteries. The nail reacts with the electrolyte, which is contained in the flesh of the potato. The electrons travel through the wire to light up the light bulb, and then flow back to the anode, the thick copper wire.

How many potatoes does it take to turn on a light bulb?

Expect two potatoes in series to be able to light an LED; however, you might need three.

How does the potato lightbulb experiment work?

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 do you do the potato light bulb experiment?

Take the wire connected to the penny in the half of potato with the nail and wrap some of it around the second nail . Stick that second nail into the other potato half. When you connect the two loose ends of the copper wires to the light bulb or LED it will light up (source: MathinScience).

Video advice: Adults Try Kids’ Potato Light Science Experiment

Can Inga and Sarah use a potato to light a lightbulb? Or will a kid expert show them up again?

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Erwin van den Burg

Stress and anxiety researcher at CHUV2014–present Ph.D. from Radboud University NijmegenGraduated 2002 Lives in Lausanne, Switzerland2013–present

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Potato Battery Experiment: Powering a Light Bulb With a Potato

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Did you know you could power a light bulb with a potato? The chemical reactions that take place between two dissimilar metals and the juices in the potato create a small amount of voltage that can power a very small electrical device [source: MadSci].

Follow the instructions below to make a potato battery .

How to Make a Potato Battery

The science behind potato battery experiments, using potato batteries to power other devices.

• One potato (ideally large)
• Two pennies
• Two galvanized nails (zinc-plated nails)
• Three pieces of copper wire
• A very small light bulb or LED light

What You Need to Do:

• Cut the potato in half, then cut a small slit into each half, large enough to slide a penny inside.
• Wrap some copper wire around each penny a few times. Use a different piece of wire for each penny.
• Stick the pennies in the slits you cut into the potato halves.
• Wrap some of the third copper wire around one of the zinc-plated nails and stick the nail into one of the potato halves.
• Take the wire connected to the penny in the half of potato with the nail and wrap some of it around the second nail. Stick that second nail into the other potato half.
• When you connect the two loose ends of the copper wires to the light bulb or LED, it will complete the electrical circuit and light up.

Be careful when handling the wires, because there is a small electric charge running through the wires. Hydrogen gas may also be a byproduct of the chemical reactions in the potato, so don't perform the experiment near open flames or strong sources of heat [source: MadSci].

Batteries store energy for later use, but where does the energy come from? All batteries rely on a chemical reaction between two metals.

In a potato battery, the reaction — between the zinc electrodes in the galvanized nails, the copper in the penny, and the acids in the potato — produces chemical energy.

The potato doesn't produce electricity, but it does allow the electron current to flow from the copper end to the zinc end of the battery.

You can try using multiple potatoes to power other battery-equipped devices, like a clock.

In the battery compartment, connect the potato with a copper coin inside to the positive terminal (marked with a "+") and a potato with a galvanized nail inside to the negative terminal (marked with a "-"). Learn more about how to make a potato clock.

With any potato battery experiment, if your battery doesn't power your device on the first try, you can try increasing the number of potatoes. You can also use other fruits and vegetables to make batteries — lemon, which is highly acidic, is a popular choice.

"Food Batteries." MadSci Network. Mar. 14, 1998. (Sep. 20, 2023). https://www.madsci.org/experiments/archive/889917606.Ch.html

Potato Battery FAQ

How does a potato battery work, can a potato light up a light bulb, why does my potato battery not work, how many amps of energy can a potato battery produce, does using a boiled potato result in more power.

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

Potato Light Bulb Experiment

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(Physics for ages 8+)

If you’re looking for an exciting and boredom-busting activity, this just might be the one for you! Did you know you can use potatoes to light up a light bulb ? It seems crazy, but there is electrical energy all around us and even in everyday things like the food we eat. The video above shows exactly how it’s done. Here’s what you’ll need:

Potatoes Copper wire or copper nails Iron-galvanized nails Electrical wire (with or without alligator clips) Light bulb Voltmeter (optional) Adult supervision (Adult supervision at all times please)

• Start by inserting a 3-inch piece of copper wire about half-way into each of your potatoes (use 2, 3, or more potatoes if you’d really like to ramp up the voltage and brightness of the light bulb).
• Next, insert an iron-galvanized nail half-way into each of your potatoes. For best results, try to insert the nails about an inch away from the copper wire pieces.
• If you are using thin electric wire without alligator clips, you will need to remove some of the plastic covering. Cut two 6-inch strips of wire per potato you are using (if you are using 2 potatoes you need 4 strips, 3 potatoes will need 6 strips, and so on). Have an adult help you remove about ½ inch of plastic covering from both ends of each of the wire strips.
• You will need to attach the wires to your nails to complete an electrical circuit. In doing this, it is important to note the copper wire is the positive terminal (like the positive end of a battery), and the iron nail is the negative terminal. If you are using wires with alligator clips, simply clip one end to the copper wire of potato 1, and the other end to the iron nail of potato 2. If you are starting with just one potato, clip one wire from the copper wire to the light bulb, and connect another wire to the iron nail and light bulb. If you are using wires without alligator clips, simply wrap the exposed ends of the wire around the tops of the iron nails and copper wire pieces.
• Complete your circuit by attaching a strip of wire from the positive terminal (copper wire) of one potato to the negative terminal (iron nail) of the next potato. When you are finished, the light bulb should be attached to the negative terminal of the first potato and to the positive terminal of the last potato in the series. Please see the video for clarification on building this circuit.
• If you have voltmeter, replace the light bulb with the test terminals of the voltmeter to test the voltage coursing through the potato circuit. Try starting with a small circuit of just one potato and work your way up to several potatoes, testing the voltage of each circuit. You can also try different types of potatoes to see which kind makes the most powerful circuit (for example: Russet versus Yukon gold).

A potato is made up of water, sugar, and acid. When certain metals, like the copper and galvanized iron, are inserted into it, they react and create a flow of electrically charged molecules to move from the negative terminal to the positive terminal.

This reaction also released hydrogen gas as the charged molecules move through the entire potato circuit. Each potato releases a certain voltage, so connecting them in a series increases the total voltage output, which in turn brightens the light bulb. What other kinds of food might work to create a “ food battery ?”

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How to Make a Potato-Powered Light Bulb

Simple Electrical Projects

During a power outage, or when you need to brighten a dark area of your home, you can use a potato and light bulb with a few other elements to create light. When you put copper and zinc electrodes in a potato, phosphoric acid in the potato reacts with the electrodes to generate electricity needed to light the bulb. While a potato-powered light bulb won't generate much light for a long period of time, it's enough to gently brighten a dark area while waiting for the lights to come back on.

How to Wire the Potato

1. Halve the potato with the knife to expose the interior. Use the knife to cut a penny-sized slit in the middle of the potato half.

2. Wind a piece of copper wire around each penny. Press the wire-wrapped pennies into the slits created in each of the potato halves. Leave some of the wire hanging out of the potato.

3. Slide one nail into the end of each potato half. Wind copper wire around each nail.

4. Attach the loose copper wire from a penny to the copper wire on the nail attached to the opposite potato. Do not connect the nail and penny wires in the same potato.

5. Connect the two loose wires from the remaining penny and nail, to the light bulb. When the wires touch the bulb, it lights up.

Things You'll Need

• If the nail and a penny touch, the experiment will not work.
• Peeling the potato or soaking it in Gatorade sometimes helps conduct the electricity.
• Use caution with the wires once it becomes an electric conduit.

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About the Author

Rebecca Gilbert began writing and transcribing in 2003. In 2007, she started a resume-writing company. She earned an associate degree in sociology from Pima College and a bachelor's degree in communications at University of Wisconsin. Gilbert also does tech support for a major technology company and volunteers locally teaching job-seeking skills.

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