Water Powered Calculators and other devices have been around for quite some time now. Practical or not, these devices have been selling quite well as novelty products and business around the world have come up with innovative ideas and designs for them. I thought, It would be a great idea to make a list of all water powered calculators available in market. I did and then selected the top five of them for our readers. It has been a great 2 hour journey full of discovery and learning.

How does water powered calculator work?

Generally Two different metals have difference in electronegative charge. If we immerse them both in a fluid which has free floating ions (not pure water) then one metal electrode will preferentially attract ions causing a potential difference. If these metals are connected to an external circuit the process will  create a very tiny amount of current in micro-amps range(Most calculator chips only require one or two micro-amps to operate). The process will run perpetually as the metal will continue to draw more ions from the solution until the fluid is exhausted or metal is fully oxidized. ( similar to a lemon battery)

The water is in fact not the source of the power. The electricity is produced by the difference in electrode potentials of the anode and the cathode which are inserted into the water (or potato/lemon). It’s just a battery, it looks a little bit different, but the clock draws a very small amount of current anyway. So in other words: the water powered calculators are actually powered by a dissolving of metals like zinc.

EMC’s Water Powered Calculator

This one is most elegantly designed calculator. It has a futuristic shape. looks like an alien on your desktop. can only be ordered in bulk and you can get your logo/name printed on it. min order qty is 25 and will cost you around 15 British pounds each. You can request a free sample here. It indeed makes a great business gift. Although I hate the small keys, over all it’s the best around. More Details here

Water Powered Calculator- Zc003d

This looks bit odd but more practical to use. This model is made in china and is being sold as gift for company’s sales team.

Can be ordered from here

E Promo’s Water Powered Calculator

This is also positioned as promotional product. we like it because of green colour and large keys. It is lot easier to use a calculator with larger keys. This model is available at E-Promo for around 12 Dollars each. a free sample can be ordered here

Size: 3″ w x 4.75″ h x 0.25″ d

Color: White/Green

Packaging: Bulk packed.   24.0 lbs. / 100 pcs.

Imprinting :Above display, 2.25″ w x 0.375″ h
Screen Printed 1 color incl., 4 colors max.
Setup: $50.00 per color/design

Production Time: 8 business days

More details here

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