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A battery is a machine that holds chemicals that react to produce an electrical current from two poles when they are connected by a circuit. Many of us are familiar with batteries, because they are an integral part of modern life. Almost everything, from cell phones, beepers, laptops, to medical instruments that restart the human heart get their energy from batteries.
Within a battery are two electrodes and an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a chemical that reacts with the electrode to form a current. The electrolyte can be in either a dry, paste form of can be a wet form, like in car batteries. The electrode is also known as a pole. This is where a circuit would connect to the battery to transfer the energy. Although there are several different kinds of batteries, they all work off of the same basic principal: electrolyte oxidizes and looses electrons. Then, the electrons are regained by the electrode and used in the circuit. Here are some examples of basic batteries:
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A long life battery is the most common battery used today. It is used in cell phones, portable games, most flashlights, and children’s toys. These batteries are called Alkaline batteries because alkaline is part of the electrolyte. There is powdered zinc and a form of manganese oxide mixed with the alkaline electrolyte within the battery. The Alkaline causes a chemical reaction in which zinc changes to zinc oxide. During the reaction, the zinc atoms loose electrons and the manganese oxide gains them. This produces a 1.5-volt flow of electricity.
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This battery is a small, round battery used in small devices, like watches. It contains powdered zinc and mercury oxide mixed with alkaline electrolyte. During the reaction, the zinc loses electrons as it changes into zinc oxide. The mercury oxide gains the electrons and changes into mercury. The gained electrons create an electric flow of 1.35 volts
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This is a large battery used to turn the starter motor within a car, or other motor vehicle. It is also the most powerful battery described so far. Its strength is gained by linking many separate cells together into one powerful battery. Plates of lead oxide and lead metal are immersed in sulfuric acid electrolyte. The electrons to the lead batteries and change it into lead sulfate. Once the car battery starts the engine, a generator engine runs and recharges the battery, reversing the reaction
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 John from Canada contributed:
is there a way to recharge a nickel metal hydride battery for a cell phone please reply
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Sytse from The Netherlands contributed:
Hi John, about your question about the rechargable battery, I think that you should be able to recharge that one. The reaction with the electricity and the molecules, which were formed by using the battery's current, cause the molecules which were in the battery when you bought it, fully loaded. So you can re-use it.
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David Macaulay "Batteries"
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1988
Bibliography
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