Educational field courses for educators & students in Costa Rica, Galápagos and beyond!
1-888-890-0632
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
©Holbrook Travel, Inc. 2007 IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE: Holbrook Travel believes all information to be accurate at the time of publication. However, we reserve the right to make corrections.
Educator Resources
Electrifying Fruit
Equipment Set-up Data Collection
    Procedure		 Data
    Analysis		 Conclusions and
    Extensions

 

Purpose:

In this experiment, we will use the Voltage/Current Sensor to measure the voltage of various fruits grown locally in Costa Rica: Bananas, Pineapples, Mangos, etc. We will learn that fruits actually produce electrical current and will discover which fruits will produce the most voltage.

Background Information:
One form of energy can be converted into another. For example, the energy stored in a piece of food can be converted into energy that helps you grow and move. The energy stored in certain kinds of food can also be converted into electricity. A piece of fruit such as a banana or pineapple can produce a voltage when electrodes made of different metals (copper & zinc) are placed into the fruit.  

Barometric pressure is an indicator of incoming weather systems. Low-pressure systems often bring with them clouds and precipitation, because air rises in low-pressure systems. The higher the altitude, the cooler the air gets, causing condensation, clouds and precipitation. High-pressure systems usually result in mostly clear days. High-pressure systems push air closer to the ground, preventing the formation of clouds. In general if pressure rises, it's an indicator of clear weather or improving weather on the horizon. If it is falling, it can be a prelude to cloudy or possible rainy weather. If it remains steady, expect more of the same of whatever the current conditions are.

Equipment:

Equipment Set-Up:

  1. Connect the USB Link to your computer’s USB port.
  2. Connect the Voltage/Current Sensor to the USB Link.
  3. Place the copper wire and zinc nail into one piece of fruit, several inches apart.
  4. Put alligator clips on the ends of the Voltage Sensor leads. Connect the red end of the Voltage Sensor to the copper wire and the black end of the Voltage Sensor to the zinc nail:

    5.  

Data Collection Procedure:  

1. If DataStudio is not already running, it will launch once the USB Link is connected to the computer.

2. Click on the "Launch DataStudio" icon in the PASPortal window.

3. Will the voltage from a piece of fruit be as much as the voltage from a D size dry cell battery (about 1.5 volts)? Predict what the voltage will be from the piece of fruit. Record your prediction and the type of fruit you are going to use. See Data Table below)

4. Click the Start button ( ) to begin collecting data. Wait approximately 10 seconds to record. View the values of voltage in the Digits display and Meter display.

5. Click the Stop button () to stop collecting data.

6. Repeat steps 2-3 for each of the other fruits.
 

Data Analysis:

1. Record the Max (maximum) value of voltage for each piece of fruit in the Data Table below.

Type of Fruit Predicted ( vs. 1.5 battery )
Maximum Voltage		 Actual Maximum Voltage
1.     
2.     
3.     
4.     
5.     

 
Conclusions and Extensions:

  1. Optional:
    - Try inserting the electrodes to different depths
    - Try inserting the electrodes closer to each other or farther away from each other.
    - Try different sizes of the same kind of fruit.
  2. How does your prediction compare to the actual value of maximum voltage? (Was your prediction lower, higher, or very close?)
  3. If you tried any of the optional activities, what were the results?
    a) Did changing how far in the electrodes were make the voltage go up, go down, or stay the same?
    b) Did putting the electrodes closer together make the voltage go up, go down, or stay the same?
    c) Did putting the electrodes farther apart make the voltage go up, go down, or stay the same?
    d) Did the different kinds of fruit make any difference? If so, what was the kind of fruit, and was its voltage higher or lower than your first piece of fruit?
    e) Did a different size of your kind of fruit make a difference? If so, did the voltage go up or go down?
This experiment is brought to you courtesy of PASCO. 

Home  |  Contact Holbrook  |  Privacy Policy  |  Educator Bulletin Board  |  Photography Credits