Battery how does it work

What is a battery & how does it work?

“A battery is a device that is able to store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, and convert that energy into electricity,” says Antoine Allanore, a postdoctoral associate at MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

How do batteries power our lives?

Batteries power our lives by transforming energy from one type to another. Whether a traditional disposable battery (e.g., AA) or a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (used in cell phones, laptops, and cars), a battery stores chemical energy and releases electrical energy.

How do batteries store energy?

Batteries and similar devices accept, store, and release electricity on demand. Batteries use chemistry, in the form of chemical potential, to store energy, just like many other everyday energy sources. For example, logs and oxygen both store energy in their chemical bonds until burning converts some of that chemical energy to heat.

How do lithium ion batteries work?

When you unplug the power and use your laptop or phone, the battery switches into reverse: the ions move the opposite way and the battery gradually loses its charge. Read more in our main article on how lithium-ion batteries work.

How do rechargeable batteries work?

Rechargeable batteries (like the kind in your cellphone or in your car) are designed so that electrical energy from an outside source (the charger that you plug into the wall or the dynamo in your car) can be applied to the chemical system, and reverse its operation, restoring the battery’s charge.

What happens when a battery is charged?

Once charged, the battery can be disconnected from the circuit to store the chemical potential energy for later use as electricity. Batteries were invented in 1800, but their chemical processes are complex.