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Battery Technology | How Batteries Work

Battery Technology | How Batteries Work

Read the article to understand working of car, re-chargeable and normal batteries.

Batteries are virtually everywhere. You will find bat-teries in cars, laptop computers, portable electronic devices like MP3 players and also in cell phones. Bat-teries are also of different types. You have the large car batteries, rechargeable batteries and common alkaline batteries. Irrespective of the type and use, the basic working of battery remains the same. A battery is like a small tin, full of chemicals, wherein electrochemical reactions take place and generate electrons. Answers to various questions like how batteries work, how car batteries work and can freezing improve battery life, among others, can be found below.

How do Batteries Work?

Looking at a battery, you will find two terminals. One of them will be marked positive (+), while the other one negative (-). Normal cells (AA, AAA, C or D) have these terminals on each of their ends, while a

car battery will have two lead stations which work as terminals.

A chemical reaction inside the battery generates electrons. These electrons accumulate at the nega-tive terminal of the battery. It is essential for the electrons to travel from the negative terminal of the battery to it’s positive terminal, to ensure the chemical reaction takes places continuously, the-reby generating power. A battery’s internal resis-tance determines the number of electrons which travel between both terminals. Anything (load) can be connected to both terminals of the battery with help of a wire, to provide the load with necessary power to function.

See Also:

How Rechargeable Batteries Work?

Although invented long time ago, rechargeable bat-teries are even more in demand these days thanks to all portable electronic devices like cellphones, music players and laptops, which people have started using a lot. Working of a rechargeable battery is simple. The process of electrons moving from negative to positive terminals is turned around, whenever any electrical energy is applied to the battery, thereby bringing back any lost power. Normally, an adapter is required to facilitate this process.

The amount of electrical current allowed by the charger determines how quickly you can recharge your battery. Few batteries are capable of handling

September 27, 2011

http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/battery-technology-how-batteries-work/

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Battery Technology | How Batteries Work

higher voltage in a short span of time, while most of them require a lower voltage supply for a longer span of time. Once the electronic device is comple-tely charged, it is essential to disconnect it from any electrical supply to avoid overcharging. Read more on cell phone battery and laptop battery.

How do Car Batteries Work?

The basics of working of a car battery remain same as any other battery. So, how does a battery work in a car? Well, the two electrodes, anode and cathode are immersed together in an electrolyte. In case of car batteries, both electrodes are made of lead dioxide and lead. A solution having one-third sulfuric acid is used as an electrolyte. Whenever any power is released from the battery, a chemical reaction turns both electrodes to lead sulfate. A non-conducting barrier present between both electrodes prevents any short circuit. This kind of battery design is called lead-acid design.

The best part about car batteries is that it is a com-pletely rechargeable, as the electrochemical gets reversed whenever electrical current is enforced on the lead-acid battery. You can read more on how to charge a car battery.

Does Freezing Batteries Work?

A common myth among people is that batteries conti-nue generating electricity even when not in use. This is false, as batteries are incapable of chemical

reaction unless in use. Therefore there it makes no sense in freezing batteries in a refrigerator, as it will only help in slowing the chemical reaction process. So when you actually will need the battery, it wont work instantly as it will take time to warm up.

It is true batteries self discharge at a certain rate constantly, though it is a very slow process. In case of alkaline batteries, they tend to get discharged faster in extremely warm climates. Unless you are staying at places with more than 100 degree Fahrenheit temperatures, it does not make sense to store them in freezers. However, NiMh and NiCd batteries deplete themselves much quicker than alkaline batteries, even when stored at room temperatures. It is the-refore smart to store these batteries in a freezer, to preserve them longer.

How do Batteries Work for Science Project

How batteries work can be easily shown as part of a science fair project. All you will need is a copper nail, a zinc nail, a plastic coated insulated wire and a lemon. To start the project, cut the wire in to two pieces of 6 inches each and take out an inch of in-sulation coating from each end of both wires. One the lead and copper nails, wrap the bare part of the wire. Insert both nails in the lemon keep a 2 inch space between them. Now when anyone touches the other ends of the wire, a tingling sensation will be felt on the tongue. This is due to certain chemical reaction taking place between lemon juice, the cop-per nail and the zinc nail, which releases electrons through the wire. Read in detail about the lemon battery experiment.

You must have definitely understood how batte-ries work after going through the article. Put your knowledge on ‘working of battery’ to good use by explaining it to young children and others around, who are still alien to this concept.

September 27, 2011

http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/battery-technology-how-batteries-work/

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Battery Technology | How Batteries Work

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September 27, 2011

http://www.batteryfast.co.uk/battery-technology/battery-technology-how-batteries-work/

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