Building a battery
For a better understanding of the functioning of a battery is here briefly explained the structure. The most common type is the so-called Alkali-manganese battery, whose structure and function we will explain in this article, by way of example.
- A battery consists of one or more galvanic cells, i.e. cells that can store chemical energy and electrical energy make.
- Is enclosed of the battery by a metal sheath, which acts as the positive pole. At the bottom of the casing is initially open.
- At the edge of the battery of manganese, which is the positive electrode, and cathode is.
- By a Seperator, for example, from a paper-like material, of the cathode separated from the negative electrode, the Anode is located. It is made of zinc.
- Both areas of the cathode and the Anode are soaked with caustic potash. It forms a electrolyte, which improves the conductivity of the materials.
- In the zinc mass in the middle of the battery, a metal pin making contact to a metal plate located at the bottom.
- The metal plate at the bottom is the negative pole and the battery will shut down. It is separated by an insulator from the positive pole and the cathode.
Building a battery
Function of a battery
The battery is inserted into a device, creates a circuit. For example, if a light bulb is connected, electrons flow from the negative terminal through the wire to the positive terminal. But why is this happening?
- Zinc is a metal that the chemist is called the base. It tends electrons.
- Manganese is, however, a noble metal, it takes on electrons.
- Are now connected to both the cathode and the Anode to each other, the with potassium hydroxide saturated zinc through the conductor electrons to the manganese.
- The electrons in the zinc mass caused by a reaction of zinc with potassium hydroxide, zinc hydroxide, and two electrons.
- Thereafter, the zinc hydroxide is further oxidized to zinc oxide and water.
- The battery is empty, if the whole of the zinc, the potassium hydroxide is oxidized to zinc oxide and water and all of the free electrons has delivered.
On the next page, we show you how you can without the voltage controller, in order to determine whether a battery is full or empty it is.
