Girl with two plaits is using a colourful abacus to count
Boy wearing glasses, writing in his schoolbook with a black and yellow pencil
Older boy pupil with younger girl, both in the library reading a colourful book

Fruit batteries

12th December 23

Year 4 have been making fruit batteries. The challenge is to produce the highest voltage, and then increase the voltage by using more than one item of fruit in the circuit. Lemons are traditional but oranges work just as well, as do limes and apples. Voltmeters are very useful kit here for comparing the voltages generated. You can try other fruits and juicy vegetables too. More than half a volt should be enough to work a buzzer. We move on to potato batteries next lesson and then briefly magnets, finishing by making a needle compass.

Beyond the classroom