Electric Veggies

Electric Veggies

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Pictured here is a favorite of my students ... "Electric Veggies." This apparatus I constructed has a Three-Veggie capacity and measures 4' x 4'. For this Demo I use a large white radish, an Irish potato, and the traditional Kosher Dill Pickle. Soaking the radish and potato in certain metallic salts will make them "glow" red and green ( see Scharlin article below ). The pickle, because it already has been soaked in a metallic sodium salt solution ( NaCl ), glows yellow. This special construction, unlike the "suicide cord" version in the literature below, makes use of heavier gauge wiring, switches, and GFCI circuitry for obvious safety reasons. The paint on the front also "glows" with the aid of a black light just in case the veggies decide to not cooperate. I used to also use the suicide cord version, but made the change to this safer version in the early 90's after one too many shocking experiences. Using the suicide cord version is fairly dangerous and is not at all recommended by this author.

Historically the Demo was created by the children of Catherine Ireland, a High School Chemistry teacher from Manhasset High School of New York in July of 1987. Cathy performed the Demo at the 1996 Flinn Scientific's "An Incredible Evening of Chemistry" and it has become a mainstay of many chemical demonstrators around the country. In January, 1990, Mr. Wizard ( Don Herbert ) performed the Demo on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson with Jay Leno. More recently, Jean Delfiner performed it as her signature Demo at ChemEd 1999 in Fairfield, Connecticut.

There is quite a bit of literature on the Demo, various methods of construction, and why the pickle glows only on one end. It is believed that it glows only on one end because it arcs across the steamy ionized space and that you get a lower resistance path at the end where the arcing has begun. Therefore, ... it will continue to arc at only that end. Some of the best literature on the Demo comes from The Journal of Chemical Education. This and other sources are:

Appling, Jeffery R. and Jonke, Frederick J. "Sodium D Line Emission from Pickles." Journal of Chemical Education 70 (1993) 250-251.

Weimer, Peter M. and Battino, Rubin. "The Incredible 'glowing' Pickle and Onion and Potato and ..." Journal of Chemical Education 73 (1986) 456-457.

Scharlin, Pirketta and Battino, Rubin. "Glowing Veggies." Journal of Chemical Education 73 (1996) 457-459.

Delfiner, Jean. Journal of New York Chemistry Club News. Oct., 1993. p. 5

Delfiner, Al. Journal of New York Chemistry Club News. Oct., 1993. p.6.

Personal communications with Rubin Battino and John Fortman, Wright State University.

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