The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Life Sciences
  3. Marine Science
  4. Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Would an electric eel work as a battery?

  • 10 Replies
  • 6269 Views
  • 3 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline chris (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7947
  • Activity:
    2.5%
  • Thanked: 273 times
  • The Naked Scientist
    • View Profile
    • The Naked Scientists
Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« on: 15/06/2017 08:03:21 »
Bruce says:

Is it possible to duplicate the electric eel's method to produce current?  Would it be used as a battery?

I'm an avid follower and strongly recommend other senior citizens use your podcast to stimulate their minds.


What do you think?
Logged
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
 



Offline alancalverd

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 11428
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 671 times
  • life is too short to drink instant coffee
    • View Profile
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #1 on: 15/06/2017 11:10:55 »
The Kon-Tiki expedition (1947) reported a radio being powered by an electric eel after being damaged and immersed in seawater.

I recall being impressed by this when reading Heyerdahl's book in the 1950s, but memories fade and it struck me as  pretty unlikely at the time. However I now discover that his crewmen Haugland amd Raaby were former Resistance radio operators and the story is therefore no more unbelievable than many others I have heard about makeshift radio communication, from my parents' generation.
Logged
helping to stem the tide of ignorance
 

Marked as best answer by chris on 11/07/2017 23:37:05

Online evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 9190
  • Activity:
    71%
  • Thanked: 917 times
    • View Profile
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #2 on: 15/06/2017 12:55:24 »
Electric eels have a finite capacity - Alexander Humboldt saw electric eels captured by sending horses into a pond.
The eels attacked the horses; when the eels were exhausted, the eels were easily captured. Unfortunately, some of the horses did not survive the encounter.

The electric eels tend to produce very short impulses of high voltage, but the average power is fairly low.
Most of an electric eel's food intake will be spent on metabolism, so while they do produce electricity, it is not a very efficient process.

See:
Logged
 

Offline chris (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7947
  • Activity:
    2.5%
  • Thanked: 273 times
  • The Naked Scientist
    • View Profile
    • The Naked Scientists
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #3 on: 15/06/2017 15:18:15 »
Quote from: evan_au on 15/06/2017 12:55:24
Alexander Humboldt saw electric eels captured by sending horses into a pond.
The eels attacked the horses; when the eels were exhausted, the eels were easily captured. Unfortunately, some of the horses did not survive the encounter.

That's an amazing anecdote - do you happen to have a reference for it?
Logged
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
 

Offline jeffreyH

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 6807
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 174 times
  • The graviton sucks
    • View Profile
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #4 on: 15/06/2017 18:43:36 »
When eels attack? That sounds like a cult B movie.
Logged
Even the most obstinately ignorant cannot avoid learning when in an environment that educates.
 



Online evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 9190
  • Activity:
    71%
  • Thanked: 917 times
    • View Profile
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #5 on: 15/06/2017 22:40:03 »
Quote from: Chris
do you happen to have a reference for it?
It's all in the Youtube Video (about 5 minutes).
Logged
 

Offline chris (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 7947
  • Activity:
    2.5%
  • Thanked: 273 times
  • The Naked Scientist
    • View Profile
    • The Naked Scientists
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #6 on: 22/09/2017 19:21:35 »
A really nice paper came out in Current Biology this month on electric eels and how they are ten times more powerful than a TASER.

The above is a link to the synopsis I wrote, accompanied by the published reference, for those that might want to follow up.
Logged
I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
 

Offline Danne

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • 45
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #7 on: 04/10/2017 14:40:44 »
PETA would certainly not like it.
Logged
 

Offline AustinnEp

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • 14
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
Would an electric eel work as a battery
« Reply #8 on: 30/08/2019 23:53:59 »
Ok I want to start a predator tank with a ribbon eel in future but have no clue on what to feed or how to set up also minimum tank size and what other fish could I put in with it
Logged
 



Online Kryptid

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 5768
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 240 times
    • View Profile
Re: Would an electric eel work as a battery?
« Reply #9 on: 31/08/2019 00:27:18 »
Quote from: AustinnEp on 30/08/2019 23:53:59
Ok I want to start a predator tank with a ribbon eel in future but have no clue on what to feed or how to set up also minimum tank size and what other fish could I put in with it

This is a very old thread and is not directly related to the question you are asking. I would advise you to start a new thread about your question.
Logged
 

Offline Emilelix

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • 13
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
Would an electric eel work as a battery
« Reply #10 on: 13/10/2019 12:09:04 »
what kind of eel can I put in a 90 gallon tank. Im would also like to have a dwarf lionfish or any lionfish, and any clownfish. Is that way over stock? Or could I do a lot of water changes. If there is more room then could you suggest any other fish. Thanks for reading this.
Logged
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags: electric eel  / electricity  / current 
 

Similar topics (5)

What are "energy" and "work" ?

Started by The ChampBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 108
Views: 54517
Last post 31/12/2018 20:54:40
by yor_on
What is a transistor? How does a transistor work?

Started by chrisBoard Technology

Replies: 9
Views: 18589
Last post 12/01/2010 01:48:55
by Geezer
Why do we have a jet stream, and how does the jet stream work?

Started by Joe L. OganBoard The Environment

Replies: 4
Views: 8430
Last post 03/06/2020 22:30:12
by evan_au
What are neutrinos and how do neutrinos work?

Started by chrisBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 8
Views: 10275
Last post 08/01/2014 09:27:20
by evan_au
How do holograms work? How are holograms made?

Started by JollyBoard Technology

Replies: 11
Views: 12665
Last post 19/12/2015 00:42:04
by Jolly
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.298 seconds with 64 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.