- When strips of two different metals are inserted into a potato, electrons move through the potato from one strip to the other. If the metal strips are connected to each other by a wire, the electrons can flow through the wire and back to the potato. You have a battery.
- In this lab, you will construct a battery from a potato, and check it for current flow with your galvanometer.
MATERIALS NEEDED:Potato
Small copper strip
Small zinc strip
2 small press-on alligator clips
needle-nose pliers
Your galvanometerPROCEDURE:
Using the pliers, attach the small alligator clips to the bare ends of the wires on your galvanometer. Be sure the wires are clean, and free of shellac, where the clips clamp onto them.
Push the two metal strips, part way, into the potato about 3 cm apart. Some of the strips need to stick out of the potato to connect to.
Turn the galvanometer on the table so that the needle points to the north, in line with the wire coil.
Connect one of the alligator clips from the galvanometer to one of the metal strips in the potato.Observe the galvanometer as you connect the other clip to the remaining metal strip. Disconnect and connect the second clip several times, observing the galvanometer.
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Back to Lab Dad's Laboratory
- In this lab, you will construct a battery from a potato, and check it for current flow with your galvanometer.
MAKING A POTATO BATTERY
AND TESTING IT WITH
YOUR GALVANOMETER
INTRODUCTION: