Following on from Edison's first lightblub moment back in 1879, the OU's Stephen Serjeant experiments with an alternative power source - the humble potato. Create a potato batter with a couple of screws and a light bulb.
Like a lemon, a potato can produce electricity. This science experiment was prepared by Ebtisam Al Anzoor and demonstrated by Mustafa Daif. The electricity is proven using an analog micro ameter. The positive is copper from a penny or copper coin while the negative is a galava ...more
Learn how to make a battery using potatoes! Fun for the whole family! Video: .
You've probably seen the classic fruit battery science experiment a thousand times, but I doubt you've ever seen it turned into an art project! Photographer Caleb Charland uses everyday objects like apples, coins and vinegar to create makeshift batteries, then takes these gorg ...more
In this video Mr.G puts a new spin on magnets and bare copper wire with just a simple battery. Motion via magic? Not quite, but pretty darn close! Join Mr. G, and build your own motor with its own unique new spin. This is a fun, easy, do it at home experiment.
Most of us have conducted an investigatory science project without even knowing it, or at least without knowing that's what it was called. Most science experiments performed, from elementary to high school students and all the way up to professional scientists, are investigato ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to restore silver with electrochemistry. You can restore old silver with aluminum foil or a battery by simple electrochemistry. Old silver is often tarnished by a thin layer of silver sulfide that appears as a brown colo ...more
Using only vinegar and a few simple materials, it is possible to construct a working battery. This science video tutorial explains how to construct and use a battery like this to power a calculator. A good science project as part of an introductory electricity course. This pro ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to make a lithium thionyl chloride battery, which is capable of generating 2.8v with enough current to power a LED. Warning: Thionyl Chloride is EXTREMELY toxic and this experiment must be performed in a fumehood by an e ...more
In this video we manage to power a clock with nothing but two potatoes. In order to make this you will need two potatoes, a triple A battery powered clock, bare wire, galvanized nails, and leads, which you can find at radio shack. The clock is powered by the potato battery.
Don't just drink your milk... have fun with it! Check out this science experiment video to see how to curdle milk with a battery and salt. This experiment can be done by anyone with a few simple materials... milk, a 9-volt battery, a small glass or plastic cup, salt and a stir ...more
Need an electric outlet and don't have one? No batteries on hand, either? Well, then you should use the next best thing - potatoes! In this tutorial, learn how to make that old science fair staple - the potato powered calculator! Check it out, it really works! You Will Need: * ...more
Mr.G shows you an experiment in which you can create pulse DC current (which mimicks AC current) from a nine-volt battery.
Take apart a 9V battery and turn it in to Six AAA batteries. This way you save money. amazing science experiment trick. This is a simple battery deconstruction that results in a 9 volt battery's dissection into six AAAA batteries. They are not AA or AAA, but a kind you won't f ...more
Check out this low cost project. This video will show you how to transfer sound over light! Yes, this is possible. You'll transfer a sound with a distance of 5 meters, but you may experiment on greater distances if you'd like. You'll need a laser (or an LED) for this audio pro ...more
Check out this instructional science video to learn how to make a steel wool soap pad ignite. Using a 9v battery, touch the Brillo pad to make the steel wool ignite. This is a simple science experiment following step by step the instructions in this video tutorial, trying out ...more
Want to make a simple electric motor at home? Andy and Mike show you how in just a few easy steps, using a block of wood, two paperclips, a AA battery, some insulated copper wire, and a magnet. This is a fun and simple science experiment that anyone can do at home. Wrap the wi ...more
Why does the world work the way it does? Linda Dong takes basic scientific principles and translates them into beautifully simple, explanatory images. The narrower the light source, the more sharp an object's shadow becomes. (Foam core, light). A battery is anything that conv ...more
This free video science lesson from Mr G. demonstrates a simple technique for creating a lemon battery. For all of the relevant details and detailed, step-by-step instructions, as well as to get started trying this experiment yourself, watch this home-science how-to.
Check out this kitchen table science experiment on how to make electricity from copper, zinc and water. You can make your own battery to power a small LED light from just nails, copper wire and water. You will need copper wire, zinc (in the form of galvanized nails), a multim ...more
The WonderHowTo Awards winners are in. The votes have been tallied. Despite all of these devastating wild fires, pyromania thrives!! Congratulations to Angel and his toothpaste potato fires for winning the 2008 Weird Science Award!! This fire setting trick rivals MacGyver's ...more
No summer season would be complete without potato salad, an essential side dish. The flavors and textures of a simple potato salad can be totally satisfying as is, but add in a few items and you can have a dish that is absolutely extraordinary. Here, we'll cover the basics of ...more
I've been a fan of potatoes ever since I can remember... but mainly because they weren't a big part of my daily diet (which usually consisted of rice). And because my experience with potatoes was so limited, I only knew of two varieties growing up: big, brown Russets and sinew ...more
War leaves a lot of stuff behind. Torn families, delegitimized institutions, mass graves, and unexploded ordinances litter the post occupation landscape. Whether or not you have driven the imperialist out, or are still in the phase of armed resistance, you will need the abilit ...more
Watch this science video tutorial from Nurd Rage on how to get zinc, carbon rods and MnO2 from lantern batteries. They show you how to get zinc, carbon electrodes and manganese dioxide from a lantern battery. Zinc is a good metal for battery experiments. Carbon electrodes ar ...more
Every day we pass bridges, whether it's a foot bridge, a highway overpass, a span over water, or a viaduct over a valley. We pass on these structures without even thinking of the engineering genius that went into their design and construction, let alone the science behind thei ...more
For most people, New Year's Eve means watching the ball drop in Times Square. It means celebrating the New Year with friends and family. Countdown parties, clocks, confetti... passing out before the clock strikes midnight because you drank too much. But there's one more thing, ...more
Getting the minimum five daily servings of fruits and vegetables is not as daunting as you might think. This Howcast video guide offers several tips on getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet. You Will Need * Fruits * Vegetables * Imagination * A willingness to expe ...more
Learn about the history and technology of batteries in this informative video, and learn how to make your own voltaic cells at home, along with other scientific experiments. Jeri Ellsworth demonstrates how and provides several informative facts about the history and technology ...more
A very easy to make recipe using simple ingredients like salt, butter, potatoes (of course), etc. Learn how to make mashed potatoes in a step wise way using by viewing this video. The different part about this video is that the entire recipe involves no gravy. If, for some rea ...more
As some of you Mad Science readers will remember, we recently covered the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis. Passing a current through water can rend it apart, but we can also recombine that oxygen and hydrogen to make electricity! This is the pri ...more
This how to video will show you how to make water burn. All you need is a cup, water, matches and batteries. Try this cool science experiment at home.
Taking apart batteries is one of those things that every adult you've ever known has warned you against. Today, we break the taboo and dive into a lithium battery. Lithium has some pretty cool properties—it burns instantly in water and glows blindly bright under flame. And wit ...more
VieDo expert Alan Puccinelli shows us how to make your own battery with a simple lemon. You might think it's impossible, but if you follow the instructions in this tutorial, you will find out that it is actually really simple. The video gives you a lot of information about ele ...more
An electromagnet is a fun, cool science experiment that you can easily make at home. In this tutorial, learn how to make a powerful electromagnet with only three pieces! And the best part is, you probably already have these items in your house or garage! So, why not gather som ...more
Electricity can be conducted through a variety of unexpected mediums, including Jell-O, lemons and potatoes. Learn more about electric circuit experiments in this free science experiment video from a professional audio engineer and instrument builder. Part 1 of 16 - How to Do ...more
WonderHowTo is a how-to website made up of niche communities called Worlds, with topics ranging from Minecraft to science experiments to Scrabble and everything in-between. Check in every Wednesday evening for a roundup of user-run activities and how-to projects from the most ...more
We've all heard of the power that red wine holds. It can help lower risks of heart disease, boost your brain power, and can even recharge your car battery. But last year, a group of Japanese physicists made headlines when they announced that they could induce superconductivity ...more
In this week's Phone Snap Challenge, we would like you to experiment with lighting and mood setting to create a silhouette. A silhouetted photograph contains a subject that is defined with an outline, appearing dark against a bright background. The subject generally appears da ...more
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills. Submit your best shot to our weekly competition for a chance to win an awes ...more
If you're lucky, your digital camera has a built-in intervalometer that lets you operate the shutter regularly at set intervals over a period of time. Why would you be lucky? Because you can create some very awesome time-lapse videos, like the horribly beautiful eruption of a ...more
I have an absolutely wonderful time making projects and writing articles for all of you mad scientists! Today, I will bring you behind the scenes for a look at the workbench, tools, and software that make the Mad Science World possible. Above is my beautiful workbench! My who ...more
When I was attending college, my friends had a phantom thief in their dormitory. Almost every night, a different item of food would go missing, never to be seen again. There was constant speculation as to whom the thief was and how to catch them. Security cameras were deemed t ...more
Science-fiction writer Jules Verne predicted many scientific breakthroughs, including the moon landing, tasers, and nuclear submarines. In his 1874 book The Mysterious Island, Verne writes: I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which ...more
Dreams are like an internal human holodeck. Inside your mind, anything is possible, from your grandest wishes to your worst nightmares. This is all well and good, but what if you could control your dreams and become the omniscient god of a handpicked reality whenever you go to ...more
It turns out that the popularity of soft circuit electronics has leaked out of the interwebs and into the hands of the U.S. military. Soft circuit electronics allow you to literally sew electronics circuits into fabric using flexible conductive thread instead of wire. Soft cir ...more
Valentine's Day is almost here, and if you're like me, you're scurrying to do something special for your mate. The standard chocolates and flowers just isn't cutting it anymore, and you can only make so many homemade cards before it becomes banal and meaningless. So, what can ...more
In this article, I'll show you how to create a simple yet effective way of scaring off intruders. Of course, there are methods around this approach, but it's great for office pranks and general fun. The project requires a little background knowledge in electronics and circuitr ...more
WonderHowTo is made up of niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects. Thanks to all of our active moderators and ...more
If you're on a tight budget for food, whether you're in college, or someone just starting out living on their own, you're probably low on money and sick of ramen noodles. Don't get me wrong, ramen can be tasty and filling, and there is almost nothing cheaper. Sadly, people ar ...more
I first heard the term molecular gastronomy while watching an episode of Bravo's Top Chef a few seasons back. Intrigued by the concept, I sought to find out more about this modern, deconstructed type of cookery. If you happen to be around foodies and the topic of molecular gas ...more
WonderHowTo is made up of niche communities called Worlds. If you've yet to join one (or create your own), get a taste below of what's going on in the community. Check in every Wednesday for a roundup of new activities and projects. Thanks to all of our active moderators and ...more
Whether you're in an airport, restaurant or waiting room, the insidious grip of televisions on human life is omnipresent. Sometimes it's nice to talk to other human beings while looking at them directly—actually hearing what they have to say. Thankfully, there's a DIY device ...more
Hunkin's Experiments offers over 200 science experiments freely available in comic strip form. The experiments are organized in 18 different categories, covering a wide range from simple trickery to more technical experiments. The author, Tim Hunkin, is a trained engineer turn ...more
Seaweed isn't just for rolling sushi anymore. The food science world is introducing chefs and home cooks to dulse (rhymes with pulse), kale's wacky seaweed cousin that tastes surprisingly like bacon and may even be the next big superfood. Bacon and dulse seaweed have three ve ...more
If you drop your smartphone in water, take it apart as much as you can and place it in rice. It's been the most recommended method of cell phone rescue since the days of clamshells. In fact, it's usually the only thing recommended when searching for "how to save your wet phone ...more
Other than sticking your crayon drawings onto your refrigerator door, magnets have a variety of unexpected and sometimes surprisingly practical uses, ranging from keeping your chip bags sealed to creating weird patterns on your nail beds using magnetic nail polish. The strong ...more
It's possible to stream a MacBook's entire computer screen without using Apple's Screen Sharing application and without opening any ports on the target device. A hacker with low user privileges on the backdoored Mac may be able to view a victim's every move in real time no mat ...more
Modern smartphones are packed to the brim with low-power sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes, which means they're capable of precisely measuring almost any type of movement. So why is it that when you just want to get walking directions somewhere, your device still uses ...more
It's been proven over and over that you can make batteries out of fruits and vegetables such as lemons, potatoes, and even apples. Turns out, passion fruit is also acidic enough to power a battery, but Maui Makers member Ryan K decided to take it a step further by adding a las ...more