Fruit
can make electricity!?
The purpose of this activity is to find
out if electricity can be made from some fruits.
Fruits can generate electricity
Is one type of energy or power. The
electricity in one form or another is all around us. For example, our bodies and
other living things have electricity in them. By controlling the electricity
around us, by making it work for us, we have changed the world.
In 1752 Benjamin Franklin used a kite to
prove that lighting was electricity. Thomas Edison invented the first successful
electric light bulb and the first electrical power distribution company.
People make electricity at electric power
stations. Machines called generator make electricity from other forms of energy
such as coal, falling water, wind, gas, oil or atomic energy. Wires or conductor
are the ones that carry or conduct the electrical current.
We use the energy of electricity in our
homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, etc.
Electricity has helped bring the countries
of the world closer by speeding up and improving communication. Our telephones,
televisions, and other communications instruments all run on electricity.
Materials:
3
copper wires
3
copper strips
3
zinc strips
3
limes
3
oranges
3
apples
Multi
tester or battery tester.
Get the 3 limes on flat surface, on each
lime stick a copper strip and a zinc strip on opposite sides. Connect a copper
wire to the copper strip of the first lime to the zinc strip of the second lime;
then, connect a second copper wire to the copper strip of the second lime to the
zinc strip of the third lime. Connect another wire to the copper strip of the
third lime to the red lead of the tester of the third lime, and connect a wire
to the zinc strip of the first lime to the black lead of the tester. Watch the
needle move in the tester battery tester. Repeat the same procedure with apples, bananas, and one of
each fruit.
What happen when we connect the limes to
the battery tester? The needle on the battery tester jumped, that shows limes
can generate a small amount of electricity.
What happen when we connect the apples to
the battery tester? The needle on the battery tester jumped, that shows apples
can generate a small amount of electricity.
What happen when we connect the bananas to
the battery tester? The needle on the battery tester jumped, that shows bananas
can generate a small amount of electricity.
What happen when we connect a banana, a
lime and an apple to the battery tester? The needle on the battery tester
jumped, that shows bananas can generate a small amount of electricity.
We can generate only a small amount of
electricity from fruits.
In this experiment I used apples, bananas,
and limes to produce electricity.
Bibliography Cooper, Jason. Electricity. Science
secrets. Florida: The Rouke Corporation, 1992. Ardley, Neil. Discovering Electricity.
Belgium: Franklin Watts Ltd., 1984. Emily D. Fruit can make electricity!?,
[Online] Available
http://www.parkmaitland.org/sciencefair/g4/4b/emilyd.htm,
December 2000
Chew, Robin.
Thomas
Edison American Inventor.
[Online] Available
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96feb/edison.html,
,
Revised: January 28, 2000
Links
Food Batteries
Manuel
F. #10