EFFECT OF pH ON THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT PRODUCED BY FIVE TROPICAL FRUITS

Fruits contain mineral salts which are in the forms of ions such as Ca+2, K+, Mg+3, etc. These ions as electrolytes, can be made to produce electric current when a potential difference is set up with metal electrodes of different potentials. In this research, the amount of electric current produced by five different tropical fruits; Lime, Orange, Pineapple, Mango and pawpaw (0.93mA, 0.66mA, 0.6ImA, 0.43mA and 0.32mA respectively) were compared to their pH (2.30, 3.20, 3.50, 4.10 and 5.50 respectively) with a view of finding a relationship between current produced and pH. The results indicated that the lower the pH of the fruit, the higher the current produced and the higher the pH of the fruit towards neutral, the lower the current produced. The results also indicated that acid fruits generate better electric current than low acid fruits.