Electron Flow in Battery-Introduction and Energy

Batteries are used to offer power supply in case of main power failure. They are used as a backup source that can be consumed if the main source fails due to any possible reason. A battery is defined as a device that stores chemical energy and can convert this chemical energy into electrical energy whenever required. It is a popular assumption that batteries store electricity whereas in reality they didn’t store electricity but are home to chemical energy. It implies that batteries are a source of stored chemical energy that can be discharged upon your will to produce electricity.  

The composition of a battery is such that it has two electrodes infused in an electrolyte. The electrodes are the most important component of the battery. They offer an outlet to release and accept electrons. The electrode that releases electrons is called the anode and possesses a negative charge. Whereas, the electrode that accepts these electrons is called a cathode and possesses a positive charge. Both of the electrodes are made up of different metals with varying chemical compositions. The battery is also connected to an external load. 

The chemical energy is converted into chemical energy when electrons move inside the battery through a closed circuit. The higher the movement of electrons between two electrodes (anode and cathode) the higher will be its electrochemical potential and voltage. If you want to enhance the battery voltage then you can do it in two ways. Firstly, you can either choose the two metals with such chemical composition that enhances the electrochemical potential. Or the second option is to use a stack of several cells inside a battery to enhance its output voltage. 

Electricity Flow in the Battery

A battery is typically known to produce electrical energy from chemical energy. In simple words, the electricity flows inside the battery when the electrons from the anode move towards the cathode via an external circuitry. The process of electricity production is not as simple as it sounds. 

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The chemical reaction inside the battery gives a charge to each of the electrodes namely the cathode (positive end) and anode (negative end). When the circuit is closed and electrons are moved into the battery then they repel the anode because of having the same charge and move toward the cathode because of the opposing charge. This movement of electrons from the anode towards the cathode is what is responsible for electric flow inside a battery. This electric flow helps to generate electric power that can be used to light up your attached load. 

The flow of electrons is from the negative end or anode towards the positive end or cathode as per ohm’s law. In simple words, they follow the principle of opposite attracts and this is why electrons chose to move towards the cathode that bears a positive sign. 

Electricity Flow Battery Charge

The flow of electric charge within the battery is what we call an electric current. The charge flowing inside the battery is responsible for the electric supply to the attached load. 

The charge on electrons is negative, which is why they get attracted toward the positive side of the battery away from the negative side. The electric current is produced when the negative charge particles (electrons) move toward the positive end of the battery (cathode).

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You might be wondering why the electrons do not move and produce electric current all the time. When they are always present within the battery then what are the factors that control this movement? Well, the answer to this question is the basic phenomenon that happens to produce an electric current. The charge doesn’t move unless and until it is spurred by a chemical reaction. Inside the battery, one electrode gets a positive charge and the other gets a negative charge. When a chemical reaction occurs in the battery, it dissolves the electrodes producing ions. Without an active chemical reaction, electrons need too much energy to move inside the battery solution which they don’t have. The chemical composition of both electrodes differs, this is why when ions are produced via a chemical reaction it pushed them to the negative end of the battery. This is why all electrons gather at the negative end or anode in the battery. When an electric voltage is applied to the battery, these electrons move toward the positive end or cathode of the battery because of the law of attraction.

In simple words, the movement of electrons from the cathode toward the anode helps in charging the battery through a chemical reaction. With the help of an electric voltage, these electrons move back towards the cathode by turning the chemical energy into electrical energy while discharging the battery. 

This is how the electricity flow is generated inside the battery through the movement of charges.

How do Batteries Store Energy

In terms of the physical components, the components comprising of cathode, anode, and electrolyte, are what store energy inside a battery. A battery stores energy as a chemical potential inside it. So it means that you need to convert electricity in its chemical composition to store it inside the battery. 

To understand how a battery stores energy, you need to revise its basic composition. A battery consists of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte (ionic substance) that separates the two. A chemical reaction gives a negative charge to the anode and a positive charge to the cathode. It is so when the anode undergoes an oxidation reaction whereby it forms new compounds and frees electrons and the cathode undergoes a reduction reaction whereby it needs electrons to form compounds. When the inside circuit is closed, it activates the movement of the electric charge and electrons move inside the battery. When they move from cathode to anode then they enhance the chemical energy potential of the battery and charge the battery. This charge gets stored inside the battery and can be used whenever required by discharging the battery which converts this stored chemical energy into electrical energy. 

In rechargeable batteries, while charging the ions and charge move towards the opposing electrode through the electrolyte to balance out the movement of electrons and enable the recharge process.