Batteries from <span title="vegetables/fruits...trees?">vegetables/fruits...trees...</span>

Question

How do fruit batteries REALLY work? I mean, what's really in a potato that makes it produce electrity? What about the anodes and cathodes that make it work? What if the potato is still a plant (with all the roots and stuff, still living in the soil) and I lodge the zinc and copper nodes in it, will it have more electricity (lasts longer) than picked potatoes? I've read an article about harnessing electricity from trees, what points should I remember from making the best fruit batteries so I can make small trees a battery? Since a potato produces about 1 volt of electricity, can I safely say that 12 potatoes can make 12 volts, enough to charge a phone?

Answer 1

Get out of this section. Re-ask this question in YA &quot;chemistry.&quot;

Here&#039;s something to look at until you get a good explanation:

http://www.unit5.org/christjs/Potato%20B...

http://www.miniscience.com/projects/Pota...