How to Assemble a Potato Battery
You Provide: 3 Small, fresh potatoes (or 1 large, fresh potato cut into
3 equal pieces) *
Provided in Kit: 1 LED (light emitting diode)
3 Copper probes (golden color wires)
3 Zinc probes (grey color wires)
4 Jumper cables (lead wires with alligator clips at each end)
PROCEDURES:
Into each of three potatoes insert 1 copper and 1 zinc probe. The
probes should be inserted to a medium depth inside the potatoes and
should be spaced within about an inch of each other. The probes should
NOT touch inside or outside of the potato.
IMPORTANT: To illuminate an LED, you must first determine its positive
and negative connections. Find the flat spot (indicated by the arrow in
the picture at right) along the circular base of the LED. The lead wire
that comes from this flat spot area must connect to a negative (-)
electrode (which in this case is the zinc probe) and the wire from the
rounded area must connect to a positive (+) electrode (which in this
case is the copper probe).
Connect the four jumper cables’ alligator clips EXACTLY as instructed
below:
Jumper Cable #1: From the negative (-) lead wire of the LED to the zinc
probe in the 1st potato.
Jumper Cable #2: From the copper probe in the 1st potato to the zinc
probe in the 2nd potato.
Jumper Cable #3: From the copper probe in the 2nd potato to the zinc
probe in the 3rd potato.
Jumper Cable #4: From the copper probe in the 3rd potato to the
positive (+) lead wire of the LED
When the final connection for your potato battery is made, your circuit
should resemble the picture at right and the light of your LED should
glow.
* A battery generates electricity through the chemical reaction that
results when two different metals (called electrodes, which in this case
are zinc and copper) are suspended in an acidic solution (called
electrolyte, which in this case is phosphoric acid in the potato juice).
Thus, this experiment can be performed with lemons, tomatoes, or other
fruits and vegetables containing acidic juice.
Chemistry Homework Solutions
#52916
Ions being reduced or oxidized
*** Please see file for full description***
1. Into each of three potatoes insert 1 copper and 1 zinc probe. The probes should be inserted to a medium depth inside the potatoes and should be spaced within about an inch of each other. The probes should NOT touch inside or outside of the potato.
IMPORTANT: To illuminate an LED, you must first determine its positive and negative connections. Find the flat spot (indicated by the arrow in the picture at right) along the circular base of the LED. The lead wire that comes from this flat spot area must connect to a negative (-) electrode (which in this case is the zinc probe) and the wire from the rounded area must connect to a positive (+) electrode (which in this case is the copper probe).
Questions for Potato Battery Experiment
1. What metal or metal ion is being oxidized?
2. What metal or metal ion is being reduced?
3. Write the oxidation half reaction.
4. Write the reduction half reaction.
5. Which of the following factors affect the life of your potato battery? Explain your reasoning.
a. the size of the potato
b. the thickness of the metal strips
The solution provides a very detailed and step-by-step explanation for the problem.
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