It’s a classic children’s science experiment: insert a nail and a penny into a potato and use the tiny bit of voltage produced to power a small clock or other low-power gadget. Those of us who grew up in the 80s might remember MacGyver pulling off a similar trick on TV. When I was a kid, I used to stick a nail and a penny in an apple and rub a headphone plug along them to create static sounds.
Recently, someone shared an article in one of my prepping groups claiming that boiled potatoes can power a light for 40 days. The article even suggested this could have helped Texans during the recent winter storm blackout. Naturally, I had to test it out.
So we did the experiment—and no, it's not true.
**Summary:**
- The science behind using a potato or other produce as a battery is based on old principles.
- Potatoes don’t generate electricity themselves; they act as a conductive medium.
- A single potato battery only produces about half a volt, which is far from enough to power a light bulb.
- Boiling a potato may give a short-term boost, but it doesn’t make it a viable long-term power source.
- For real off-grid solutions, there are much better options than relying on potatoes.
**The Science Behind Potato Batteries**
Alessandro Volta created the first battery in 1800 by placing zinc and copper in brine. This setup formed a voltaic cell, where the metals acted as electrodes and the brine served as an electrolyte. Earlier experiments by Luigi Galvani showed that copper and zinc could cause a frog’s leg to twitch, leading to the concept of galvanic cells.
Potatoes don’t actually produce electricity. They just act as a medium for the chemical reaction between two different metals. In most home experiments, zinc (from a nail) and copper (from a penny) are used. The zinc slowly dissolves, releasing electrons that flow toward the copper. This creates a small amount of voltage—typically around 0.5 volts.
There are even low-power clocks you can buy that run on these homemade batteries. But that’s about it.
**The Claim About Boiled Potatoes**
In 2011, Israeli scientists claimed that boiling a potato, slicing it, and sandwiching it between copper and zinc plates could power LED bulbs. The idea was that softening the potato would reduce resistance and allow more efficient electron flow. While the concept isn’t entirely wrong, the practical application is extremely limited.
I tested it myself with some basic materials: copper wire, nails, a light bulb socket, and a multimeter. I started by inserting a nail and a piece of copper into a potato. The voltage measured around 0.46 volts—barely enough to power anything meaningful. I connected the setup to a light bulb, but nothing happened. I tried smaller components like LEDs and a lamp, but again, nothing worked.
Even when I connected two potatoes together, the total voltage barely reached 0.89 volts. Not enough to do much.
I then boiled the potatoes for eight minutes and repeated the test. The voltage increased slightly to 0.5 volts, but once cooled, it dropped back down. Connecting two boiled potatoes gave me about 0.9 volts, still not enough to power anything useful.
**How Many Potatoes Would It Take?**
According to a student at Binghamton University, it takes six potatoes to power a single 3-volt LED. That’s not enough to light a room, let alone sustain a household for 40 days. Plus, the potatoes would rot quickly, creating a mess and a foul smell.
There are some extreme examples online, like a guy who tried to power a Raspberry Pi to run the game *Doom* using a garage full of potato slices. He eventually managed to power a TI-84 calculator, but the setup was impractical and unsustainable.
**Why It Doesn’t Work**
Potato batteries are fundamentally flawed for large-scale use. They produce very little voltage and require constant maintenance. Also, the real energy comes from the metals, not the potato itself. So, if you’re looking for a backup power solution, there are much smarter options.
**Final Thoughts**
While the idea of using potatoes to power things is fun and educational, it’s not a realistic solution for emergencies. If you're preparing for a blackout, focus on real tools like flashlights, batteries, and generators. And maybe eat your potatoes instead of using them as makeshift batteries.
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