Grace's chemistry paper

1. B Y : G R A C E P A D D I S O N
The Chemistry of Batteries

2. What are batteries?
 “A battery is a package of one or more galvanic cells
used for the protection and storage of electrical
energy by chemical means” (Uwaterloo.edu 1)
 Galvanic cells are two half cells that make up a
battery
 One half is a reduction cell and the other is a
oxidation cell (Uwaterloo.edu)

3. How batteries work
 When a battery is
used, it stimulates
electrical energy that
changes reactants to
products (Holzman 5)
 This happens through
redox reactions
 It begins when the
circuit in between the
two terminals begin
to create electricity

4. How Electricity Is Made
 The electricity is made
through electromagnetic
reactions between anode,
cathode, and electrolyte
 Electrolytes are
conductors for electricity
(Holzman 2)
 The anode is where the
oxidation takes place
 Oxidation is the loss of
electrons

5. How Electricity Is Made (continued)
 The cathode is where reduction takes place
 Reduction is the gaining of electrons (Uwaterloo.edu
1)
 The chemical reaction begins, when the oxidation
cell release two or more ions from the electrolyte
 The ions combine with the anode to produce a
compound and release more electrons
 These electrons will combine with the free electrons
from the reduction reaction (Brain, Marshall,
Charles W. Bryant, and Clint Pumphrey 1)

6. Electricity Uses in Batteries
 “The reaction in the anode creates electrons, and the
reaction in the cathode absorbs them. The net
product is electricity” (Brain, Marshall, Charles W.
Bryant, and Clint Pumphrey 1)
 Batteries are becoming more important with they
advancements in electric cars
 The batteries are allowing them to store large
amounts of electricity that will allow the cars to go
further without using much gas

7. The chemistry in batteries
 The battery designers are
able to use redox reactions to
produce electricity in the car
batteries
 They have to be careful to not
combine redox chemicals
because that would instantly
discharge the batteries
 This produce only heat and
not electricity (Holzman 5)
 The redox reactions are
crucial to the functioning of
batteries

8. Works Cited
 http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Electric_Vehicle_Grant_Scheme/I_am_a_consum
er/Battery_Chemistry_Life_and_Warranty/
 http://shure.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/250/~/batteries-and-
wireless-microphones
 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7179/fig_tab/451652a_F2.htm
l
 Works Cited
 Brain, Marshall, Charles W. Bryant, and Clint Pumphrey. "How
Batteries Work." how stuff works. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/battery7.htm>.
 Holzman, David. "Electric Cars." Chem Matters Apr. 1993: 4-7. Print.
 Uwaterloo, ed. Chemistry of Batteries. cchieh@uwaterloo.ca, n.d. Web.
3 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c123/battery.html>.