MudWatt Classic Kit

The MudWatt™ is the perfect educational kit for classrooms and hobbyists since it incorporates a wide range of scientific topics. It's easy to incorporate the MudWatt™ into a class discussion on microbiology, soil chemistry, electrochemistry, or electrical engineering. The MudWatt is a fun and educational science kit that uses the natural micro-organisms found in soil to generate electricity.

Within a few days, the MudWatt’s LED light will start to blink using the power generated by bacteria within your dirt. Within a week, you’ll be able to power a digital clock and thermometer - no batteries needed!

• Experiment with different types of dirt (and things in your refrigerator) to see which are most powerful through open-ended scientific investigation.
• Track the growth of your MudWatt's power and bacteria population and unlock new chapters of a comic with the free MudWatt Explorer App (available on iTunes and Google Play)!
• Dig deep into the science with tons of lesson plans and other EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES available for classrooms and science fairs!
• Enjoy discovery with one of the most creative, interdisciplinary STEM educational toys for the modern world: microbiology, chemistry, and electrical engineering all in one kit!
   

HOW DOES THE MUDWATT™ WORK?
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bio-electrical devices that harness the natural metabolisms of microbes to produce electrical power. Within the MFC, microbes munch up the sugars and other nutrients in their surrounding environment and release a portion of the energy contained within that food in the form of electricity.

Microbes are ubiquitous throughout virtually all soils and sediments on the planet. Among these diverse communities of microbes are particular species with unique metabolic abilities that enable them to expel electrons onto oxidized metal compounds, such as rust. In a sense, these so-called “electrogenic” microbes are able to “breathe” metal compounds much like humans and other organisms breathe oxygen. MFCs employ these unique abilities by providing the electrogenic microbes with a certain configuration of two inert, graphite-based electrodes placed in environments with different levels of oxygen (see figure at right).

Classic Kit Includes:

• 1 Complete MudWatt Unit (1 Anode, 1 Cathode, 1 Vessel, 1 HackerPack)
• 1 20-Page Educational/Instruction Booklet
• 1 Pair of Black Nitrile Gloves
• MudWatt Explorer App (available on iTunes and Google Play)