Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

What causes fruits and vegetables to power a battery.



Moderator note: Project: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... to-battery

Hi!

Fruits and vegetables can “power” a battery because they’re wet and full of ions (salts/acids), so they work like an electrolyte (a liquid that lets charges move).
When you stick two different metals in (like zinc and copper), a chemical reaction happens at the metals. That reaction pushes electrons through the wire, which makes electricity. The fruit/veggie mostly helps by letting ions move inside to complete the circuit.