Potato power

An Easier And Greener Way To Generate Electricity

Adit Gupta, AIS Saket, V

Things you need

 

 

      2 potatoes

 

 

 

Method
nInsert one copper strip and one zinc strip in both the potatoes.
nConnect the red wire of the watch (the positive terminal of the watch) to copper strip of one potato.
nNow, connect the black wire of the watch (the negative terminal of the  watch) to the zinc strip of the other potato carefully.
nWith the help of connecting wire, connect the remaining copper strip and zinc strip of both potatoes. You will find your watch has started to function the same way it works with batteries.

Let’s ask Science
Raw potatoes are highly acidic. Zinc reacts with acid present in potato. This reaction releases neutrons in the process. Hydrogen gas is also formed as a byproduct because it is present in the acid. The free electrons travel from zinc strip through the wire after which the watch starts running. These electrons then travel to copper strip. The reaction at the copper strip liberates electrons from copper, which produces positively charged hydrogen atoms in the remaining half of the potato, hence electricity is generated.

Earth on fire

Aaditya Ranjan, AIS Vas 1, VII B

Along with seasons, it is also the climate which has taken a 180-degree spin. Climate change is a real, living and breathing monster which refuses to take a step back, despite all our #savenvironment campaigns and planting trees. Here are some of the most staggering figures which may make you sit up and take notice of how the world is melting away.

97 percent: Scientists who believe the primary cause of global warming is the misuse of available resources by humankind.

25 years: More than 3 trillion tons of ice has melted in Antarctica since 1992.

8 inches: Is the rise of level of sea water since the last century due to rising heat.

19th century:  When the heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide was discovered and demonstrated for the first time.

1950: The year when atmospheric levels of CO2 broke the record of the last 400,000 years.

30 percent: Increase in the amounts of toxic untreated matter being dumped into oceans.

1.5 degrees Celsius: Increase in the average worldwide temperature since the last century.

If these numbers do not make you do the math, then we don’t know what will. Let’s all come together and save our beloved Earth from turning into a fiery ball of flaming-mass!

The golden goal!

Sahil Learns Sportsmanship And Takes Home Victory!

Ria Aggarwal, AIS Gur 43, Alumnus

It is the match of the decade, the game of a lifetime, the finals of the inter-school Football Championship’17 between the quick as lightning, Dino Thunder and the team with the wildest skills, Jungle Rangers!
 
First Quarter
The ball is in its place, the players are in formation and the referee finally blows the whistle. The tension is evident just from the beginning. The intensity in the air keeps getting stronger. The Rangers are the first to take the ball and their captain, Sahil, dribbles the ball down the field alone with two Dinos on his tail, while his teammates stand around free. In just a matter of five minutes, the competitor steals the ball.
Earlier in the day…
It was the final practice match. Every player was trying to give their best for they were gearing up for a match they could not afford to lose. Sahil, the captain of the team, was working to be the player of the match.

Second Quarter
Jungle Rangers run in hopes of intercepting but Dinos run zig-zag, passing the ball from one corner to another. They are fast indeed. After a series of intercepts, tackles and passes, the score stands  at 2-1 in favour of the Dinos. The Rangers can be seen struggling. Sahil  tries to score a goal, but the ball bounces off the goal post;  another failed attempt.
Earlier in the day...
As the practice session got heated up, the heat between players also rose. Sahil continued scoring goal after goal. To the coach it looked like they were warming up to play against each other, and not against another team.

Third quarter
It seemed like the outcome of this match is already very clear. This one surely will be a crushing defeat for the Rangers. Suddenly,  in what seems to be divine intervention, Sahil passes the ball to the next player, who manages to score a point. The fans cheer in jubilation. Ranger flags can be seen waving high up in the air. Jungle Rangers stand in the field, unable to believe what just happened. Finally absorbing their slight shift towards victory, they cheer on. The score is a tie at 2-2.
Earlier in the day…
The coach walked up to Sahil. The captain who had by now scored six goals knew that a pat on the back was due. But, he was rather surprised to hear these words from his coach – “To win a match, you need to be a good team player and not just a good player.”

Fourth quarter
It’s the final fifteen minutes of the match. Fingers were crossed and prayers were muttered. The coach saw what no one else did, the eyes of his players communicating amongst each other. Captain Sahil dodges the ball towards another player, who in turn did the same. And in the blink of an eye, in a game of quick reflexes, team Jungle Rangers scored another goal.  All the players of the team rush towards Sahil, enveloping him in the tightest hug that he had ever known.
Earlier in the day…
Sahil had won many matches for the                  team. As he sat there perplexed, he saw other players hugging each other, giving each other tips interspersed with high fives and fist bumps. He sat there alone and watched the camaraderie.

So, with the match coming to an end, Sahil took home victory along with lessons of team spirit and sportsmanship,  essential to win a match or championship. The day made him ponder upon Michael Jordan’s words, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” The match taught Sahil that a successful team beats with one heart.