How to Make a Fruit Clock


It is always a good idea to show children how practical science really is. It encourages them to be curious and seeing science being enacted in things around them makes science an interesting subject for them. Today we shall see how we can make a battery clock out of a lemon. This simple project can help demonstrate to the children what really goes on inside a battery, which is nothing but 2 metals placed in a solution (acidic) giving rise to the flow of electrons from one metal to another if a wire is attached between them. You can even submit this project to the children’s science fair or at an exhibition.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • small clock running on an AAA battery – an LCD clock is preferable
  • 3-4 lemons
  • galvanized nails (2 inch) – 3
  • stiff copper wire (uncoated) – 3 pieces
  • electrician’s clips – 4
  • black marker
  • some tape

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Take the marker and mark the lemons as 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
  • Take the 3 nails and insert them into the lemons one by one. They should be fully inserted.
  • The copper wire has to be inserted into every lemon. This has to be done on the side that is opposite to where we placed the nails. The wire should be inserted deep inside the lemon.
  • Using the electrician’s clips that we have, we now have to join the nail in the first lemon to the wire in the second lemon.
  • Now we join the nail in the second lemon to the wire in the third lemon. This has to be done using the electrician’s clip.
  • Finally we attach an electrician clip to the third lemon’s wire. The other end of the electrician’s clip is going to be our + terminal of the battery.
  • We attach another clip to the nail in the third lemon. This will be our – terminal of the battery.
  • Now our battery is ready and we focus our attention on the clock. We remove the back cover of the clock and find the wires connecting the positive and the negative terminals. Usually, red denotes (+) and black denotes (–) terminal.
  • To get the clock up and running, connect the end of the clip on the first lemon to red clock wire. Similarly, connect the end of clip on the third lemon to black clock wire.
  • And voila, you’ll have display on the LCD clock!

    Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment

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    About the Author: Daniel Sherwin holds a degree in Chemistry and plans to be a scientist sometime soon. He finds himself very close to the nature. Currently, he is living in New York, USA.

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