It may surprise you but the humble potato can be made into a good source of green energy. A spud will readily turn into a battery by hooking it up to a positively charged copper plate and a negatively charged zinc plate that are connected by a wire.
Potatoes are rich in phosphoric acid, which produces a chemical reaction with the zinc anode and the copper cathode. When the electrons flow from one end to the other in a simple process called electrolysis, energy is released. Scientists have also found that power output can be increased ten-fold by boiling the potato for eight minutes as it breaks down the resistance of the potato flesh and allows electron currents to move more freely. It can increase the battery life as well. The potato battery can even be made more efficient when it was cut into four or five pieces to make a series circuit. To give you a more vivid example, a single potato can provide low voltage energy to light up a room with LED lamps for 40 days.
In terms of cost-effectiveness, a potato battery can generate electricity as much as a 1.5 volt AA alkaline battery can do, but only with one-fifth of the cost. As our traditional forms of energy such as oil and coal are depleting fast, exploring for non-polluting alternative energy sources is most vital to our planet’s well-being.
| JPC Monthly Newsletter | |
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