Science
Science of the Battery

Could you imagine a world where every electronic device we owned has to be plugged into a wall socket in order for them to be able to be used and keep a charge? This would be very inconvenient. Mobility is important as well as very useful in our lives and therefore; it would only seem right that someone invented a way for our electronic devices to keep a charge without being constantly plugged into a socket. This man’s name was Alessandro Volta and he created the first battery in 1799, although there has been evidence of “clay pot” batteries dating back to 200 B.C.
In order for an electronic device to be functional, electrical energy must be produced. In 1799, Physicist Alessandro Volta realized this reaction called “electrochemical reaction” is necessary in producing electrical energy and he was able to create the first battery by using an arrangement called the voltaic pile, in which he stacked alternating layers of zinc, brine-soaked pasteboard or cloth and sliver which created a steady, lasting current. This method has been improved throughout the years and is now made of many different materials and come in many different sizes and shapes. The next improvement on the battery did not come until 1836 when the Daniell cell was invented. This type of battery was invented by chemist John Frederick Daniell and was a way to power doorbells and telephones. In 1898, the battery called the Colombia Dry Cell was the first commercially used battery in the U.S made by the National Carbon Company or known today as the Eveready Battery Company that produces the Energizer brand

What the battery consists of:
Batteries are usually made of metal or hard plastic and the inside the battery consists of several parts such as the cathode, anode, electrodes, separator, electrolyte and the collector. Below is a list of the parts and how they aid in making the battery functional.
Cathode: Connects to the positive terminal
Anode: Connects to the negative terminal
Electrodes: Where the chemical reaction occurs and occupies most of the space in the battery
Separator: Prevents the electrodes from touching, allows electrical charge to flow freely and is located between the cathode and anode. Electrolyte: Allows the charge to flow between the cathode and anode. Collector: Conducts the charge to the outside of the battery and through the load.

How a battery works:
Most people know that the average battery will consist of positive (+) and negative (-) terminals, but do not understand how the battery actually works. First, by connecting a wire between the two terminals, the electrons will flow from the negative end to the positive end quickly but will wear out the battery very fast. In order to preserve energy and make the battery last longer or to “harness the electric charge produced by a battery,” (Brain, Brian and Pumphrey) the battery must be hooked up to a “load” such as the light bulb, electronic circuit for a radio or a motor. Electricity is produced when the anode creates electrons and the cathode absorbs them and will continue to produce the electricity until the substance/chemical used in the electrodes runs out.

Chemistry of the battery:

While there are several different types of chemicals used in different types of batteries the process to produce the electric charge is basically the same. Some types of battery chemicals used are Zinc-carbon, alkaline, lithium-ion (rechargeable) and lead-acid (rechargeable). The need for batteries has been around since 200 B.C or even possibly earlier. Batteries give us convenience as well as a safer supply of electricity than having to plug in or manually start/crank our electronic devices. The science behind batteries may at first seem very confusing, but when broken down is a simple process of allowing electrons to flow from the negative end of a battery to the positive end with the “harness” of this energy being the device we want to power with electricity. In the world today, I could not see how we could function without batteries and the convenience they supply.