The battery is an entity that is found in every aspect of our day-to-day lives, from cell phones to cars.As the use of electrical appliances grows, the use of batteries grows with it. Batteries are portable and act as a substitute during the unavailability of electricity.A battery is, simply put, an electrical energy storage device. It converts the chemical energy it receives into electrical energy with a chemical reaction. The study of this process is called electrochemistry which is the union of two words ’electro’ and ‘chemistry’.To understand the science that’s behind the working of a battery, you must understand the role of an electron. The atom (smallest unit of matter) is mostly empty space except for a few smaller pieces inhabiting it.An atom can be further broken down into three key components: electrons (negatively charged particles), protons (positively charged particles), and neutrons (neutrally charged particles), as well as a nucleus (the small, dense center which holds the proton and neutrons).The electrons revolve around the nucleus as the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun. Using this analogy, we know that the Earth travels around the Sun due to the gravitational pull of the latter.An electron (negatively charged particle) also revolves around the nucleus due to the attraction between the positive and negative charges. When these electrons are agitated with energy, they start moving through the conductor, breaking away from the attractive pull of the nucleus.Electricity is a steady stream of electrons flowing through the conductor (a material that allows the flow of electricity).Now that we know the basic functionality of electricity, we can store interesting battery facts in our mind, just like battery stores electricity.What is a battery?A battery is a portable device that acts as a source of electricity.The battery was invented by Alessandro Volta (Italian physicist and chemist) in 1798.His invention was named the ‘voltaic pile’. Deriving from the inventor’s name and his early invention, the battery is often referred to as a ‘voltaic cell’.In Volta’s honor, the SI unit (international system of units) for electric potential was named ‘voltage’.His experiments eventually contributed to the field of electrochemistry in large magnitude.A battery converts chemical energy to electrical energy with a chemical reaction.The anode, cathode, and electrolyte form the primary components of a battery.The battery is a DC (direct current) source of power in contrast to what we receive in our electrical ports at our house which are AC (alternating current) sources.Different batteries have different chemical compositions and power gradings that should be checked before using them.A recent survey shows that Americans used 3 million total batteries over a year.Types Of BatteryBatteries are categorized and graded based on voltage rating, fabrication, and rechargeability.AA, AAA, D, and C batteries are graded based on the voltage and current rating.These can have varying specifications, and you must read the label of the appliances and the battery to make sure you are using the correct one.Primary and secondary batteries are differentiated based on the rechargeability of a battery.While primary batteries can only be used once, secondary batteries are rechargeable batteries.A French physicist invented the first chargeable battery in 1859.This was a lead-acid battery that is still used in automobiles.The most common batteries in use today are lead-acid batteries, NiCd batteries (nickel-cadmium), lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, and NiMH batteries.These differentiations are based on the fabrication of the battery.The anode of a lead-acid battery is made of porous lead, which enables the dissolution and formation of the electrode.The cathode is made of lead oxide, and both electrodes are immersed in a solution of sulphuric acid and water.Lead-acid batteries are used as car batteries.They are also used in vehicles such as golf carts.Emergency backup devices, such as emergency lights and power backup appliances, also use them.These are non-rechargeable batteries.NiCd batteries, or nickel-cadmium batteries, are rechargeable batteries with nickel as the positive terminal and cadmium as the negative terminal.They can provide a high surge charge and were earlier used in wristwatches.NiMH batteries are similar to NiCd batteries but provide higher bursts of power and are rechargeable, hence, were popularly used in portable devices such as toys and home phones.They are less prevalent in use now because they discharge quickly and take longer to be fully charged.Also, they are prone to be discharged when left idle for a prolonged period of time.Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are used in most modern portable electronics including cellphones, laptops, and power banks.These modern batteries are also used in industrial robots and automobiles.This battery exploits the electrochemistry of lithium-ion to generate power.Lithium batteries with similar electrochemistry are non-rechargeable batteries.The lithium-ion battery is an improvement from the NiMH battery because it is lightweight, takes less time to charge, and does not contain any toxic materials.Alkaline batteries are used in portable radios, portable devices, toys, calculators, and flashlights.Alkaline batteries are efficient for powering lightweight devices and have a long shelf life.Alkaline batteries are available in different voltage gradings including AA, AAA, D, and C, which provide a 1.5 V rating.Lithium polymer batteries are lighter than lithium-ion batteries as they last longer.As they are lighter, this is why they are used in portable appliances.This kind of battery uses polymer electrolyte instead of liquid electrolyte and is a rechargeable battery.Basic Components Of A BatteryA battery has three basic components: an anode, cathode, and electrolyte. Here are more battery facts about the basic components.The anode is the negatively charged end of the battery, the cathode is the positively charged end.The electrolyte is molten salt that acts as conducting medium for electrons.There is often a separator in a battery present to prevent the anode and cathode from touching.The load, such as a light bulb, is placed between the anode and cathode.When the circuit is complete, and the load is placed between the two electrodes, the charge starts flowing.The charge flows from cathode to anode while the electrons flow in the opposite direction.The earlier designs of batteries used fluid electrolytes and were kept in a container that could cause a spill if overturned.The design of batteries has evolved over time. Now, the electrolyte is in the form of a paste enclosed in air-tight metal casings to avoid spilling.The electrolytes, if leached, can be poisonous and, therefore, should be carefully disposed of as hazardous waste.Characteristics Of A BatteryThe process of converting chemical energy to electrical energy is an exothermic reaction. You must have observed a laptop or phone becoming heated after prolonged or excessive use.It shows that when a chemical reaction occurs to produce electrical energy, it gives out heat as a by-product.In ordinary terms, the current is the number of electrons flowing through the conductor, while voltage is the pressure with which these electrons are being pushed through the conductor.Electricity has two primary units of measurement: current and voltage.Current is measured in ‘ampere’ and voltage in ‘volts’.An accumulative metric used in many electrical and mechanical machines is power.Watts is the unit of power and is calculated by multiplying current (in ampere) and voltage (in volts).Batteries can be connected in a series and parallel formation.In a series formation, all the batteries are connected in series with one’s anode connecting to the next cell’s cathode until a closed loop is formed with the load being part of it.In parallel formation, all the cathodes of the batteries are connected, and similarly, all the anodes are attached to one another.When connected in a series fashion, the current adds up, and voltage is distributed among the connected load devices.If connected in a parallel fashion, the voltage adds up, and the current is equally divided among all the load components.Rechargeable batteries lose their ability to be recharged after a while.Every time a rechargeable battery is recharged, it charges a little less than the previous cycle and slowly loses its ability to retain charge at all.For this reason, you have to replace your phone or laptop batteries every couple of years, depending on the initial battery capacity.No battery is ever completely discharged.Even with primary batteries, the battery always holds some residual charge, and if left unattended (without disturbing the chemical balance within the battery), it can be measured. However, this is of no potential use.Uses Of A BatteryThe key use of a battery is to store electrical energy in a portable manner. How this electrical energy is used is something we will understand in this section.As the use of portable devices is increasing, so is the need for durable batteries that can be charged quickly.Most portable electronics use lithium-ion batteries.There has been a major uptake in electric vehicles such as electric cars and electric bikes.There has also been the introduction of hybrid vehicles to the market, which can run on multiple fuels.These electric and hybrid vehicles require highly efficient batteries for their smooth functioning.Batteries have started being used in some basic amenities such as toothbrushes.Backup power devices, such as investors, are batteries used for powering home appliances during the unavailability of main grid power.
The battery is an entity that is found in every aspect of our day-to-day lives, from cell phones to cars.
