Factoid: The soil is not powering the clock: the two electrodes are – the soil is acting as an electrolyte.
This is the same situation with lemon-powered and potato-powered clocks.
You might remember the phrases “Potential Difference” from school – well between any two metals there is a difference in their properties which allows a current to be drawn.
Please feel free to bore your friends with these exciting facts!
You could say the same thing about a battery. The electrolyte and electrodes together make up a battery. Neither does anything by itself as far as powering anything.
SCIENCEBURST on 09.14.2009 at 13:15 PM
Factoid: The soil is not powering the clock: the two electrodes are – the soil is acting as an electrolyte.
This is the same situation with lemon-powered and potato-powered clocks.
You might remember the phrases “Potential Difference” from school – well between any two metals there is a difference in their properties which allows a current to be drawn.
Please feel free to bore your friends with these exciting facts!
Eleanor on 09.14.2009 at 13:25 PM
Thanks for setting us design junkies straight!
Jaime on 09.14.2009 at 13:48 PM
Not boring at all – fascinating! And I DO remember something about potato radios!
James E. Mortens on 10.12.2010 at 00:48 AM
You could say the same thing about a battery. The electrolyte and electrodes together make up a battery. Neither does anything by itself as far as powering anything.
Topsoil Supplier on 02.09.2011 at 03:23 AM
This clock is great. A true scientific experiment. This is a must gift for someone.