Electric Fruit 1996-1997

Electric Fruit
1996-1997

We joined six other classes across the country in this electricity project sponsored by two classes in the Milwaukee French Immersion School. The observation was designed to investigate the effect of circumference, mass, and freshness on the amount of electricity produced by different fruits and vegetables for seven days. After discussing our data, we agreed upon a few tentative conclusions, and planned a new observation to help answer our questions.

Item Circumference
Day 1 Mass
Day 1 Volts
Day 1 Circumference
Day 4 Mass
Day 4 Volts
Day 4 Circumference
Day 7 Mass
Day 7 Volts
Day 7

Potato 25 cm 165 g .007 25 cm 163 g .012 25 cm 161 g .040

Apple 25 cm 190 g .115 24.5 cm 188 g .064 25 cm 185 g .043

Orange 25 cm 218 g .014 25 cm 213 g .002 25 cm 208 g .031

Lemon 21.5 cm 122 g .032 21 cm 114 g .018 21 cm 108 g .001

Turnip 22 cm 145 g .148 19.5 cm 103 g .002 17 cm 70 g .001

Jicama 28 cm 267 g .101 28 cm 268 g .029 27.5 cm 251 g .055

Onion 23 cm 156 g .010 22.5 cm 154 g .020 22 cm 150 g .003

Item	Circumference Day 1	Mass Day 1	Volts Day 1	Circumference Day 4	Mass Day 4	Volts Day 4	Circumference Day 7	Mass Day 7	Volts Day 7
Potato	25 cm	165 g	.007	25 cm	163 g	.012	25 cm	161 g	.040
Apple	25 cm	190 g	.115	24.5 cm	188 g	.064	25 cm	185 g	.043
Orange	25 cm	218 g	.014	25 cm	213 g	.002	25 cm	208 g	.031
Lemon	21.5 cm	122 g	.032	21 cm	114 g	.018	21 cm	108 g	.001
Turnip	22 cm	145 g	.148	19.5 cm	103 g	.002	17 cm	70 g	.001
Jicama	28 cm	267 g	.101	28 cm	268 g	.029	27.5 cm	251 g	.055
Onion	23 cm	156 g	.010	22.5 cm	154 g	.020	22 cm	150 g	.003

Tentative Conclusions

Freshness: The effect of freshness may depend on the type of item. For the potato and the orange the volts were higher when they were not fresh. For the rest the volts were higher when they were fresh.

Circumference: Larger items may produce more voltage than smaller items. Different items with the same circumference produced different voltage on the first day. After seven days, the items with a smaller circumference produced a lower voltage than the items with a larger circumference.

Mass: The heavier items usually produced more volts than the lighter ones.

Plan for Next Observation

Type of Item: We were not sure if the potato produced more voltage after seven days than it did on the first day because of its mass and circumference, or just because it was a potato. In our next observation we will use two of each item, one small and one large.

Duration: We would like to see what happens to the voltage after a longer period of time. The voltage produced by the jicama was higher on the seventh day than it was on the third day. We wonder what would happen after three more days. In our next observation we will observe for two weeks.

Choice of Items: Since the orange and lemon were very squishy after one week, we decided not to use them for our next observation. We decided to use the potato, apple, and jicama since they were producing the most voltage after seven days and were also the least rotten.

1997-1998 Electric Fruit Investigation

1996-1997 Class | Room 9 Home Page

This page maintained by Lucinda Surber.