Charging your cell phone with an apple - does it work?

Instructions are circulating on the Internet on how to charge your cell phone with an apple. You can read how and whether this works in this practical tip.

How should charging with an apple work?

The mode of operation corresponds to that of a conventional battery. In the so-called galvanic element there are two different metal electrodes in an electrolyte solution (here fruit juice). Chemical reactions create an electrical voltage between the two electrodes.

How is an apple battery built?

You need 2 electrodes to build an "apple battery". In the household there are iron (nails) and copper (1 cent - 5 cents). These are placed in the apple at a distance of approx. 5 mm. Copper serves as the + pole and iron as the -pole. The two electrodes are soldered to the polarity with a USB cable.

How many apples do you need to charge a smartphone?

In order for it to be worth charging with an apple at all, such a battery should have a performance similar to that of a normal charger.

• If you build a battery out of an apple, a voltage of approx. 0.8 V and a current of 0.5 mA can be measured. Commercial chargers for smartphones, however, deliver voltages of 5 V and currents of 1000 mA.
• In order to achieve comparably high values ​​with the "apple battery", approximately 12500 cells are required.

The apple battery works ... but only in theory

In principle, it should be possible to charge a smartphone with fruit such as an apple. However, the effort to set up an apple charger and the costs for the fruit alone surely exceed the benefits. In addition, the apples are no longer edible after use! If you want to try the apple battery with pomegranates, we will show you how to peel a pomegranate.

If you run out of juice on the go, external batteries are worth charging your smartphone. In this practical tip we show you a selection of external batteries.