The Fruit Battery

March 19, 2007

7th grade

Abstract
My objective was to determine which fruit would make the battery for a clock.

Procedure
1.

Gather all things needed for experiment.

2.

Wash hands for safety.

3.

Take the clock module and place fruit in the two holders.

4.

Remove plastic coatings at the end of all wires with scissors.

5.

Take the black cable and tie one end to the Zinc metal contact.

6.
Take the blue cable and tie one end to the Zinc metal contact and the other end of
the Copper metal contact.
7.

Take the red cable and tie one end to the Copper metal contact.

8.

Insert the metal contacts to the fruit.

9.

Attach the black and red cable to the spring contacts.

10. Watch fruit generate energy to power the clock.

11. Adjust the time on the clock.
12. Set the date.
13. Set the month.
14. Set the day of the week.
15. Set the stopwatch.

Results
According to my experiments, the tomato was the best battery for a clock. The tomato has
been used for a week and is still going. The tomato has the most acid. The lemon did not
work at all. The apple lasted 1 day. The orange lasted 3 days.

Conclusion
My hypothesis was that the lemon and the orange will produce electricity for the longest
period of time. The tests went well. The only problem that was encountered was the
lemons not working.

Table of Contents

Section

Page

Question, Purpose, and Hypothesis..1

Review of Literature.................2
Materials and Procedures.........3
Results..................................4
Conclusions............................5
Acknowledgments....................6
Bibliography............................7

Question, Purpose, and Hypothesis

Question
Which fruit can produce electricity for the longest period of time?

Purpose
The purpose of my experiment is to determine which fruit can produce electricity to operate
a clock.

Hypothesis
My hypothesis is that the lemon and the orange will produce electricity for the longest
period of time.

Review of Literature
A voltaic battery is a battery consisting of a number of Primary cells with two or more unlike
electrodes. Batteries produce electricity when two or more Primary or Secondary battery
cells convert chemical energy to electrical energy. Fruit can be used as batteries. The acid
in fruit reacts with water to create hydrogen. The hydrogen is in the forms of ions. Ions are
positively charged atoms that are missing electrons. This enables the acid to take electrons
from a metal, so an electrical charge or voltage is built up. The fruit with the highest
amount of acid will generate the highest voltage.

Materials and Procedures

Materials
1.

one potato clock kit

2.

2 of each ( lemon, tomato, apple, and orange)

3.

paper

4.

pencil

5.

stopwatch

Procedures
1.

Gather all things needed for experiment.

2.

Wash hands for safety.

3.

Take the clock module and place fruit in the two holders.

4.

Remove plastic coatings at the end of all wires with scissors.

5.

Take the black cable and tie one end to the Zinc metal contact.

6.
Take the blue cable and tie one end to the Zinc metal contact and the other end of
the Copper metal contact.
7.

Take the red cable and tie one end to the Copper metal contact.

8.

Insert the metal contacts to the fruit.

9.

Attach the black and red cable to the spring contacts.

10. Watch fruit generate energy to power the clock.

11. Adjust the time on the clock.
12. Set the date.
13. Set the month.
14. Set the day of the week.
15. Set the stopwatch.

Results

Fruit

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

Lemon

Did not work

Did not work

Did not work

Did not work

Tomato

7 hours 26 min.

10 hours 38
min.

13 hours 25
min.

Still going on

Apple

3 hours 43 min. 1 hour 48 min. 3 hours 1 min.

1 day

Orange

2 hours 43 min. 3 hours 13 min. 5 hours 57 min.

3 days

According to my experiments, the tomato was the best battery for a clock. The tomato has
been used for a week and is still going. The lemon did not work at all. The apple lasted 1
day. The orange lasted 3 days. The tomato has the most amount of acid.

Conclusion

My hypothesis stated that the lemon and the orange will produce electricity for the longest
period of time. My results did not support my hypothesis. The tests went well. The only
problem that was encountered was the lemons not working.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my parents, Thea and James Duckett, for letting me use their house. I
would like to thank my Aunt Tammy for letting me use her computer. I would also like to
thank my Science teacher, Ms. Jones, for helping me.

Bibliography

www.potatoclock.com.2002.