How Batteries Work Quotes

“Inside the battery itself, a chemical reaction produces the electrons. The speed of electron production by this chemical reaction (the battery's internal resistance) controls how many electrons can flow between the terminals. Electrons flow from the battery into a wire, and must travel from the negative to the positive terminal for the chemical reaction to take place. That is why a battery can sit on a shelf for a year and still have plenty of power -- unless electrons are flowing from the negative to the positive terminal, the chemical reaction does not take place. Once you connect a wire, the reaction starts.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“Cells connected   in parallel (Figure 8),   give the battery a greater current capacity.   When cells are connected in parallel, all the positive terminals are connected   together, and all the negative terminals are connected together.  The total voltage output of a battery connected in parallel is the same as that of a single cell. Cells connected in parallel have the same effect as increasing the size of the electrodes and electrolyte in a single cell.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“When several cells are connected in series   (Figure   7), the total voltage output of the battery is equal to the sum of the individual cell voltages.   In the example of the battery in Figure 7, the four 1.5V cells   provide a total of 6 volts.  When we connect cells in series, the positive terminal of one cell is connected to the negative terminal of the next cell.    The current   flow   through   a   battery connected in series is the same as for one cell.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“Cells that cannot be returned to good condition, or recharged after their voltage output has dropped to a value that is not usable, are called primary cells.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“An electrolyte is a solution which is capable of conducting an electric current.  The electrolyte of a cell may be a liquid or a paste.  If the electrolyte is a paste, the cell is referred to as a dry cell; if the electrolyte is a solution, it is called a wet cell.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“An electrode is a metallic compound, or metal, which has an abundance of electrons (negative electrode) or an abundance of positive charges (positive electrode).”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“A battery is a group of two or more connected voltaic cells.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“The term voltaic cell is defined as a combination of materials used to convert chemical energy into electrical energy.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work

“A battery is essentially a can full of chemicals that produce electrons. Chemical reactions that produce electrons are called electrochemical reactions.”
― David R. Carpenter, How Batteries Work: Basics of How All Batteries Work