Teacher: Mr.

Seale
Student: Destine Jones
What is a battery?
A battery consists of one or more cell in which chemical energy is converted into
electrical energy and is used as a source of power

Chemical reactions in batteries

Batteries use a chemical reaction to produce a voltage on their output terminals
(anode and cathode) and to do work on charge.

Chemical Reactions in different type of batteries

AA batteries
Alkaline Batteries: The cathode is made up of a manganese
dioxide mixture, while the anode is a zinc powder. It gets its name
from the potassium hydroxide (KOH) electrolyte*, which is an
alkaline substance. When an oxidation-reduction (a.k.a. redox)
reaction occurs, electrons are transferred between species. This
sort of reaction is common especially in batteries. The reaction
does not start until the battery is put into a device and the device
is turned on. Flipping that switch gives the electrons from the zinc
a pathway to reach the manganese(IV) oxide. Until the circuit is
complete, there is no buildup of electrons at one end of the
battery.
*electrolyte- A liquid which conducts electricity and is broken down at the same time

Cellphone batteries: Every cellphone get its power from a

rechargeable battery pack. Most mobile devices use lithium-ion
batteries, which are light in weight, store generous amounts of energy
and can be recharged many hundreds of times. In a lithium-ion
cell phone battery, the anode is commonly made of graphite, a pure
form of carbon. A compound called lithium cobalt oxide forms the
cathode, and the electrolyte consists of salts such as lithium perchlorate.
When you use your cell phone, the chemicals in the battery react to
produce an electric current. Unlike household alkaline batteries, which
have a cell voltage of 1.5 volts, lithium-ion batteries have a cell voltage
of 3.7 volts. Batteries are connected in series to achieve multiples of 3.7
volts for devices that need more voltage.
 Car batteries: A car battery is actually 6 different batteries lined up in
series. The individual voltages come together to give a total voltage.

Typical car battery structure

The general way that a battery works is that when an electronic circuit is connected to the
battery, electrons can flow. During normal operation, a chemical reaction occurs between the
solution and the anode which releases electrons that flow through the circuit. These re-enter the
battery through the cathode where another chemical reaction is happening between the cathode
and solution. When a battery dies, it is usually because one or more of the chemical reactants is
used up. In a car battery (lead-acid battery) the cathode is lead dioxide (PbO2), the anode is lead
(Pb), and the solution is sulfuric acid (H2SO4). When the battery is being used, the 2 connections
react to form lead sulphate (PbSO4) by reacting with the sulfuric acid.
 Electric Car Batteries
 Battery electric vehicles use electricity stored in a battery pack to power an
electric motor and turn the wheels. A battery is constructed from stacking
individual electro-chemical 'cells', each of which produces a voltage (typically
2V) that is the result of a chemical reaction within the cell. Although the lead-
acid battery was the most common electric vehicle battery until the late 1990s,
the latest generation of rechargeable cells includes lithium-ion (Li-Ion) and
lithium-polymer (Li-Poly) cells. Lead-acid batteries are a kind of wet cell
battery and usually contain a mild solution of sulfuric acid in an open
container. The name comes from the combination of lead electrodes and acid
used to generate electricity in these batteries. The major advantage of lead-
acid batteries is that, after having been used for so many years, they are well
understood and cheap to produce. However, they do produce dangerous gases
while being used and if the battery is overcharged there's a risk of explosion.