Price : $10.00
Potatoe Clock Info - Make your own digital clock that is powered by a potato, no batteries required. Energy is generated to power the digital clock and stopwatch that really keeps time! The clock is quick and easy to assemble using simple parts and will run for years. This project teaches about electro chemistry and galvanic cells. Set includes base unit, wire coils, digital display, instructions.
Feature Potatoe Clock
- The clock is quick and easy to assemble.
- Energy is generated to power the digital clock and stopwatch that really keeps time!
- No batteries required.
- Make your own digital clock that is powered by a potato.
A fine potato clock...if you know how! . Ah, the mysterious potato clock, a wonderous piece of science. A nice little kit only missing potatoes--and accurate instructions. We opened the package and found three wires, four metal strips, a base with clock, and directions. Oddly, the directions said nothing about the metal strips--just connect the wires to the potatoes and you are off. Funny thing, nothing happened. My daughter tried this with a sitter and they decided the potatoes were defective, so we came home to discover several pieces of fruit had been victims of mad science experiments gone awry.
If you know a little electrochemistry, you might be suspicious, and rightfully so. Those metal strips are not decorations. What you should do is:
1) put potatoes on base
2) put silver strips into the left side of each potato (as you face the clock from the front).
3) put the copper strips into the potato on the right side (you don't want the strips to cross or touch)
4) connect the red wire to the left potato's silver strip and to the lefthand terminal at the left of the clock (marked "-")
5) connect the blue wire from the left potato copper strip to the right potato's silver strip
6) connect the black wire from the right potato's copper strip to the right terminal (marked "+"). Your clock should come alive at this point and the directions do seem correct on how to set the clock.
Connecting the wires may be mildly troublesome. I think you can get a good contact by pulling the wire into the notch on the side of the end of the metal strips, but I decided to strip the insulation from the wires first. The springs on the terminals are most easilly used by pushing the top to the side and sliding the bare wire into the spring, then letting the top go back to its original position.
Although cool to get going (once you learn the little trick above), beyond putting new pieces of fruit or tubers in place, you just have a kid conversation piece, so its "fun" level can get kind of low quickly. It is really not fun if you don't have better directions than what were in our box.
If you know a little electrochemistry, you might be suspicious, and rightfully so. Those metal strips are not decorations. What you should do is:
1) put potatoes on base
2) put silver strips into the left side of each potato (as you face the clock from the front).
3) put the copper strips into the potato on the right side (you don't want the strips to cross or touch)
4) connect the red wire to the left potato's silver strip and to the lefthand terminal at the left of the clock (marked "-")
5) connect the blue wire from the left potato copper strip to the right potato's silver strip
6) connect the black wire from the right potato's copper strip to the right terminal (marked "+"). Your clock should come alive at this point and the directions do seem correct on how to set the clock.
Connecting the wires may be mildly troublesome. I think you can get a good contact by pulling the wire into the notch on the side of the end of the metal strips, but I decided to strip the insulation from the wires first. The springs on the terminals are most easilly used by pushing the top to the side and sliding the bare wire into the spring, then letting the top go back to its original position.
Although cool to get going (once you learn the little trick above), beyond putting new pieces of fruit or tubers in place, you just have a kid conversation piece, so its "fun" level can get kind of low quickly. It is really not fun if you don't have better directions than what were in our box.
Product Details
EAN : 0042409058985UPC : 042409058985
MPN : 05898
Brand : Smithsonian
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 3 inches
Length : 12 inches
Width : 11 inches
Binding : Toy
Manufacturer : Smithsonian Science Activities
Manufacturer Maximum Age : 14 years
Manufacturer Minimum Age : 8 years
Model : 05898
Publisher : Smithsonian Science Activities
Release Date : 2006-07-01
Studio : Smithsonian Science Activities
Where To Buy
You can buy Potatoe Clock on Amazon . Click here to Read More
