What Is an Alkaline Battery?
Batteries have undergone almost continuous refinement and improvement since the technology was first developed. Over the years, major battery constructions have included lead acid, carbon-zinc, nickel-cadmium and alkaline-manganese batteries. The modern alkaline battery developed from the alkaline-manganese battery created in 1949 by Lew Urry at the Eveready Battery Company. Today, most alkaline batteries are long-lasting, single-use disposable batteries with no self-discharge, resulting in a long shelf life.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
The oldest discovered battery appears to be the Baghdad battery, which was found by construction workers in Baghdad in 1936 and is thought to date back more than 1,000 years. This battery was a jar with an iron rod at the center wrapped with copper. When placed in vinegar, the jar could create 1.5 to 2 volts between the iron and copper. Although this couldn't have been a practical battery, it may have been a useful way to electroplate gold onto silver materials.
In 1800, Alessandro Volta created a battery by stacking silver, zinc, and paper or cloth soaked in salt. He also developed the concept of the electrochemical series of elements. The unit that measures electric potential, the volt, is named after him.
-
Function
-
An alkaline battery has a positive end and a negative end. Through chemical reactions, electrons flow toward the negative end of the battery. However, without a completed circuit, the electrons do not flow at all. When the battery is attached to a device, conductive material or wires connect the negative end of the battery to the device that requires power, and then back to the positive end of the battery. When the device is turned on, electrons create a current which powers the device and then returns back to the battery, where more chemical reactions can take place.
Uses
-
The advantage of alkaline batteries is obvious: They allow electrical devices to operate without being directly plugged into an outlet or generator. Alkaline batteries run portable electronic gadgets, as well as devices in our home that have to remain operational in the event of a power failure, such as flashlights and smoke detectors. Batteries have also been used for electroplating, or attaching metal to another material. Some alkaline batteries are even rechargeable, although these can have drawbacks.
Rechargeable Alkaline
-
Rechargeable alkaline batteries have a low self-discharge and are environmentally friendly because they don't get thrown out when their charge runs out. In low-use equipment, such as emergency household flashlights, they are more beneficial. However, because they lose strength with each recharge and provide low voltage in high demand electronics, they are not a good replacement in equipment that gets heavy use, such as music players and digital cameras.
Recycling
-
Battery recycling is important because some batteries contain toxic materials that can harm both people and the environment. These include nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries. Rather than throw batteries out, properly dispose of them through a recycling center. Many vehicle batteries can be disposed of at auto shops. Laptop, computer, and heavy duty electronic batteries can usually be disposed of at electronic shops, like Best Buy and Radio Shack.
References
- Photo Credit "Battery, LED in pumpkin" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: oskay (Windell Oskay) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
