Applied Science | Monday | 11.09

[tyler_gone]

The lab tables had potatoes, wires, nails, and cheap digital clocks on them this morning. One of these things was not like the others.

"We're making potato batteries today," Tyler said, explaining the odd assortment. "What you're doing is using the potato to transfer electrochemical energy. Now, a battery is a device that converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy.[21] It consists of a number of voltaic cells; each voltaic cell consists of two half cells connected in series by a conductive electrolyte containing anions and cations ...." He went on for a while, thoroughly explaining the science.

"The potato's not important. The potato's just acting as a buffer between the zinc in the nails and the copper in the wire. You can do pretty much the same thing with lemons, pickles, apples ... you get the idea."

"Pair up and use this handout to make potato batteries. Extra credit if you find a better way to do it."

Comments

Re: Science! [11.09]

[not_tylerdurden]

"And it's not like I'm bypassing the potato entirely," Calvin pointed out. "That would be cheating."

Re: Science! [11.09]

[momslilassassin]

"Oh, definitely," Ben agreed. "Unless there's a species of potato that already has its own hardware bred into it?"

No, Ben. Don't make a robot potato.

Re: Science! [11.09]

[not_tylerdurden]

"That'd be so cool," Calvin said, grinning. "It could cook itself when you picked it."

Yes, Ben. Make a robot potato. You know you want to.

Re: Science! [11.09]

[momslilassassin]

"That would be astral," Ben said, laughing. "And all of their little eyes. They'd make excellent spies before we ate the evidence."

Re: Science! [11.09]

[not_tylerdurden]

"No one would ever suspect a potato after all."