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You are here: Home / Science / Why Does the Two Potato Clock Need Two Potatoes?

Why Does the Two Potato Clock Need Two Potatoes?

March 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

For the same reason that your flashlight needs two batteries.

A set of zinc and copper metals will move electrons with only so much oomph. That’s because there’s only a certain amount of difference between the electron-holding powers of zinc and copper.

But if you need more electron-moving force, to light a bulb, for example, you can connect a second set of zinc and copper metals after the first, giving twice as much kick to the electrons.

The technical word for electron kick is voltage: the force with which the electrons are made to move. The zinc-copper combination makes about 1 volt of kick.

If a particular clock needs 2 volts to run, you’ll need two potato batteries connected together.

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Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Do Fruit Powered Clocks Work Using Lemons and Oranges As Batteries?
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