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How does a battery work?
Quick answer
A battery works by turning stored chemical energy into electricity through a reaction that pushes electrons from one terminal to the other. When you connect it in a circuit, that flow of electrons powers your device until the chemicals are used up.
Step by step
- It stores energy in chemicals at two terminals.
- A chemical reaction frees electrons at the negative terminal.
- Electrons flow through your device to the positive terminal.
- That flow of electrons is the electric current.
- Rechargeable batteries reverse the reaction to refill.
People also ask
How does a battery produce electricity?
A chemical reaction releases electrons at one terminal that flow through the circuit to the other, and that electron flow powers your device.
Why do batteries die?
The chemicals that drive the reaction get used up; once they're depleted, no more electrons flow until you recharge or replace it.
How do rechargeable batteries work?
Applying electricity reverses the chemical reaction, restoring the original chemicals so the battery can release energy again.
What's inside a battery?
Two electrodes (anode and cathode) and an electrolyte that lets charged particles move between them.
Part of the guide: Everyday Science: Light, Heat & Matter →