Understanding Batteries: Anode, Cathode and Current Explained

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Chemistry Batteries [Chemistry HSC Course-1]

What is an Anode?
“The negatively charged electrode of an electrical device, such as a primary cell, that supplies current.”
“An anode is an electrode through which conventional current flows into a polarized electrical device.”

What is a Cathode?
“The positively charged electrode of an electrical device, such as a primary cell, that supplies current.”
“A cathode is the electrode from which a conventional current leaves a polarized electrical device.”

What is Current?
“A flow of electricity which results from the ordered directional movement of electrically charged particles.”
The flow of electrons makes a charge that delivers useful power which could be used to light an LED

What is Electrolyte? …show more content…

The cell has wide usage in many different appliances like calculators, toys and clocks. The technical name for the cell is Leclanche cell. This cell is relatively cheap as it was the first commercially battery which left a big impact upon society because it powered many devices like torches, portable radios and toys and made many other devices possible. With so many other cells today, the dry cell is mainly used in devices that require only a small amount of current such as small electronic toys. The cell is robust, easy to store and use. There is minimal environmental problems if disposed of as the manganese(III) is readily oxidised to stable insoluble manganese(IV) oxide and so becomes immobilized meaning it will not react with the environment and cause harm to the organisms surrounding. The small quantities of zinc in the cell are not a problem as they are not hazardous along with ammonium salts and also the carbon which are …show more content…

This means that they give up both their valence electrons to become positively charged ions. When the zinc ions are moving away from the anode and leaving their electrons on the surface this makes the anode more negatively charged than the cathode. If a device is connected to the cell, the electrons move through the device (now a completed circuit) to the graphite rod (cathode). This movement of electrons creates the electric current for the Leclanche cell. After passing through the circuit, the electrons then reach the cathode where they combine with the manganese dioxide (MnO2 ) and water which react with each other to produce manganese oxide (Mn2O3) and negatively charged hydroxide ions. There is also another reaction happening at the same time where the negative hydroxide ions react with the positive ammonium chloride in the electrolyte to produce molecules of water and

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