How Batteries Work

n order to explain how batteries work you are going to need to understand what's inside them. Same as it would be impossible to explain how the sun works without knowing what types of gasses it's made of. Now before I go into a rant talking about hydrogen and fusion let's dive right into batteries. This would be easier to understand if you have some knowledge about chemistry and physics. But if you don’t then that’s fine also.

Any object that can produce a flow of electricity without actually moving (like a battery or a solar panel) is known as a Cell. No matter what type of cell it is they all have a few things in common. All cells possess two different plates. These plates are separated from one another. One is the positive plate while the other is the negative plate. They are both placed in a special type of liquid chemical that conducts electrons (electricity).

Both of the plates have to be made out of different types of material than its counterpart. This way they can both react with the chemical in different ways which allows the electricity to be drawn out of the battery. If both plates were made out of the same material then there wouldn’t be a difference in voltage. Therefore no electricity could be taken from the cell or put in the cell.

As more and more electricity is taken out of the cell then both the plates and the chemical change in composition. Until such a point in which no more electricity can be taken out because the plates and the chemical can’t change any more. Also if you add electricity (charge it) then the chemical and the plates both start changing back through this constant change will eventually wear it out.

The difference between double-A and triple-A is in the composition of the plates and the chemical. The types of metals used to build batteries include Zinc Alkaline Carbon and Nickel. The size also matters as you can guess the bigger the battery then the more energy it produces and the more energy it can output at any given time.

The components of the average battery are:

Container
Steel can contain the other ingredients.

Cathode
Cathodes are the electrodes reduced by the electrochemical reaction.

Separator
A fabric that separates the electrodes.

Anode
Anodes are the electrodes that are oxidized. Taking the form of powdered zinc.

Electrodes
The area where the actual reactions take place

Electrolyte
Acts as the medium between the ions within the cell. Carrying the ionic current.

Collector
A pin down the center of the battery that collects electricity and takes it outside of the battery.

Also, just a little interesting fact to put at the end of the article. Archaeologists have found ancient primitive batteries in Egypt. What their purpose was is unknown.