Take two onions, a coin And a cell phone charger: according to a video that is becoming popular on social media, you have everything you need to recharge your smartphone. The reality, however, is very different. It is not possible to charge a smartphone by sticking the charger into two onions connected by a coin: the viral video is fake. Of all this, the only thing you really need is the charger… but connected to a power outlet.
In the video you see a boy wedge a coin between the two onions and stick the charger into the bulb: by connecting the phone, thebattery icon it seems to magically come to life. It doesn’t take long to realize that this is a fake videos. It is not the first time that such content has gone viral: in the past we have seen similar attempts with potatoes immersed in sugary drinks, circuits made with two bananas and a coin or with lemons and vines.
It is true that onion contains electrolytes (positive and negative ions) which, in theory, allow the passage of current. However, they are needed to generate a flow of electric current two electrodes of different metals (typically copper and zinc) capable of triggering the movement of electrolytes. This principle is missing from the video: the coin could also act as an electrode, but it is only one, and in any case it is not made of pure copper and zinc. In any case, even if the circuit was correct, two onions will never generate i 5 volts they 1-2 amps needed by the transformer to charge a smartphone: it would require a frighteningly large number of onionseach with two copper and zinc electrodes inside, and all these electrodes should be connected with electrical wire.
The problem is that these videos lead people to replicate the experiment at home, obtaining zero energy and generating only useless food waste. The idea that the simple contact between a coin and two onions can generate the voltage and current needed to charge a modern one lithium battery in the absence of an anode and a cathode (electrodes) It has no scientific basis. To power a smartphone you need conventional methods such as electricity gridone power bank or the wireless charging.
But what’s the trick? Many users are impressed because “you can see it charging”. The explanation is often banal. Unlike the old fakes where a power cable was hidden under the table, in this case, where only one cable is actually seen, the technique could be “more digital”. It could be one screen recording – here is a guide on how to do it on Android and iPhone – which shows the charging animation: all you need is a great timing and start the video or animation the exact moment you insert the cable into the onion.
It is good to remember that not everything we see on social media is real and that often the misinformationnow more than ever with the advent of artificial intelligence capable of generating hyper-realistic images and videos, run faster than physics. We always try to stay a little healthy skepticism.
