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electric battery
electric battery device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy, consisting of a group of electric cells that are connected to act as a source of direct current. The term is also now commonly used for a single cell, such as the alkaline dry cell used in flashlights and portable tape players, but strictly speaking batteries are made up of connected cells encased in a container and fitted with terminals to provide a source of direct electric current at a given voltage. A cell consists of two dissimilar substances, a positive electrode and a negative electrode, that conduct electricity, and a third substance, an electrolyte, that acts chemically on the electrodes. The two electrodes are connected by an external circuit (e.g., a piece of copper wire); the electrolyte functions as an ionic conductor for the transfer of the electrons between the electrodes. The voltage, or electromotive force, depends on the chemical properties of the substances used, but is not affected by the size of the electrodes or the amount of electrolyte.
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Cite this article
"electric battery." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "electric battery." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-battryElec.html "electric battery." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-battryElec.html |
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Battery
BatteryA battery is a device for converting chemical energy into electrical energy. Batteries can consist of a single voltaic cell or a series of voltaic cells joined to each other. (In a voltaic cell, electrical energy is produced as the result of a chemical reaction between two different metals immersed in a solution, usually a liquid.) Batteries can be found everywhere in the world around us, from the giant batteries that provide electrical energy in spacecraft to the miniature batteries that power radios and penlights. The correct use of the term battery is reserved for groups of two or more voltaic cells. The lead storage battery found in automobiles, for example, contains six voltaic cells. However, in common usage, a single cell is often referred to as a battery. For example, the common dry cell battery found in flashlights is really a single voltaic cell. Types of batteriesBatteries can be classified as primary or secondary batteries (or cells). A primary battery is one designed to be used just once. When the battery has run down (produced all the energy it can), it is discarded. Secondary batteries, on the other hand, can be recharged and reused. Special Kinds of Batteries
The best known example of a primary battery is probably the common dry cell invented by French engineer Georges Leclanché (1839–1882). The dry cell consists of a zinc container that supplies electrons to the battery; a carbon rod through which the electrons flow; and a moist paste of zinc chloride and ammonium chloride, which accepts the electrons produced from the zinc. Technically, the zinc container is the anode (the electrode at which electrons are given up to a reaction) and the moist paste is the cathode (the electrode at which electrons are taken up from a reaction) in the cell. The Leclanché cell is called a dry cell because no liquid is present in it. However, it is not really dry because of the presence of the moist paste, which is needed if electrons are to flow through the cell. The dry cell runs down as the zinc can is slowly used up. At some point there is not enough zinc left to produce electrons at a useable rate. At that point, the dry cell is just thrown away. Secondary cells. The secondary cell with which you are likely to be familiar is the lead storage battery found in automobiles. The lead storage battery usually consists of six voltaic cells connected to each other. The total amount of energy produced by the battery is equal to the sum of the electrical energy from the six cells. Since each cell produces about two volts, the total energy available from the cell is 12 volts. As the lead storage battery is used, it runs down. That is, the lead plates in the battery are converted to lead sulfate. Unlike the dry cell, however, this process can be reversed. Electrical current can be passed back into the battery, and lead sulfate is changed back into lead. If you could see the lead plates in a battery, you would see them slowly disappearing when the battery is being used and slowly reappearing when the battery is being recharged. Recharging occurs naturally when the automobile is operating and generating its own electricity or when a source of external current is provided in order to recharge the battery. [See also Cell, electrochemical; Electrical conductivity; Electric current; Electricity ] |
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Cite this article
"Battery." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Battery." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3438100091.html "Battery." UXL Encyclopedia of Science. 2002. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3438100091.html |
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battery
bat·ter·y / ˈbatərē/ • n. (pl. -ter·ies) 1. a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of power: [as adj.] battery power. 2. a fortified emplacement for heavy guns. 3. a set of similar units of equipment, typically when connected together: a battery of equipment to monitor blood pressure. ∎ an extensive series, sequence, or range of things: children given a battery of tests. 4. Law the crime or tort of unconsented physical contact with another person, even where the contact is not violent but merely menacing or offensive. See also assault and battery. 5. (the battery) Baseball the pitcher and the catcher in a game, considered as a unit. |
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Cite this article
"battery." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "battery." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-battery010.html "battery." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-battery010.html |
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battery
battery Collection of voltaic cells that convert chemical energy into direct current (DC) electricity. The term is also commonly used for a single cell, particularly the dry, electrochemical cell used in electronic equipment. Most primary cell batteries are not rechargeable; some types of primary cell – such as nickel-cadmium (Nicad) batteries – and all accumulators (storage batteries) can be recharged when a current passed through them in the reverse direction restores the original chemical state. A battery's capacity is normally measured in ampere-hours; one ampere-hour is equal to 3600 coulombs.
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Cite this article
"battery." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "battery." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-battery.html "battery." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-battery.html |
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Battery, Electric
BATTERY, ELECTRICBATTERY, ELECTRIC. SeeElectricity and Electronics . |
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Cite this article
"Battery, Electric." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Battery, Electric." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401800388.html "Battery, Electric." Dictionary of American History. 2003. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401800388.html |
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