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    soccerbeanie's Avatar
    soccerbeanie Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Apr 12, 2010, 05:27 PM
    How do you make a light bulb work with a potaote??
    We are doing a science project and we don't know how to make a light bulb work with a potato. We have a copper wire, a potato, lemon juice, galvinazied nails, and pennies, an LED light, and a stand for the LED light. How do we make it work and do we need more materials?? PLEASE HELP THIS IS DUE 4-29-10!!
    KISS's Avatar
    KISS Posts: 12,510, Reputation: 839
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    #2

    Apr 12, 2010, 05:49 PM

    You may either not have enough voltage or enough current. I can't check until after April 15.

    Ideally you need a voltmeter.

    You need greater than 1.2 V. You need a LED with the lowest current you can find.

    You may actually have to put your potatoes in series or parallel.

    The separation of the electrodes (zinc/copper) will determine the current available as well as the cross-sectional areas within the lemon/potatoe of the electrodes in the direction of current flow.

    You need about >1.2V and somewhere between probably 1 and 10 mA to light the LED brightly.

    You can get a low value resistor like 10 ohms and measure the voltage and current of your cell.

    You might also try a lemon.
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