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How to Make a potato powered calculator at home

Apr 13, 2010 09:09 PM
"How to Make a potato powered calculator at home" cover image

Need an electric outlet and don't have one? No batteries on hand, either? Well, then you should use the next best thing - potatoes! In this tutorial, learn how to make that old science fair staple - the potato powered calculator! Check it out, it really works!

You Will Need:

* Two potatoes

* A marker

* Two pieces of heavy copper wire

* Two galvanized nails

* Three alligator clips with wires

* A low-voltage, battery-operated calculator

Step 1: Number potatoes

Label your potatoes one and two.

Step 2: Remove battery

Remove the batteries from the calculator. Take care to note where the positive and negative terminals are within the battery compartment.

Step 3: Insert nails

Insert a nail into each potato and stick a copper wire into each potato, opposite the nail.

Alligator clips, nails, and wire can be purchased at your local hardware store.

Step 4: Connect clips

Connect one alligator clip to the copper wire in potato no. 1 and attach the other end to the positive battery terminal in the calculator's compartment.

Step 5: Create second connection

Clip a second alligator clip to the nail in potato no. 2, and then connect the other end to the calculator's negative battery connection.

Step 6: Complete circuit

Complete the circuit by clipping the third alligator clip to the nail in potato one and to the copper wire in potato two. Voila, a working calculator!

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