What Is the Difference Between a Wet Cell & a Dry Cell?
Batteries have been around for a very long time, and the basics of how batteries work has changed very little over time. However, there are two main categories of battery available on the market, the wet cell and the dry cell. Both have distinct characteristics, making them suited to different uses.
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History
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While evidence suggests that crude batteries may have been experimented with as much as two thousand years ago, the most recognized early battery was invented in 1798 by Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist. Over time, his early battery was adapted and improved upon, and by the end of the 19th century, the technology had improved to the point that portable electrical devices, such as the flashlight, began to be invented.
How Batteries Work
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A battery produces power through electrochemical reactions--chemical reactions that produce electrons. A simple example of this is seen in the classic children's experiment in which electricity is generated from a lemon. By suspending two types of metal in an acidic solution, a flow of electrons is created which flows from one piece of metal (or pole) to the other. This flow is known as electrical current, and the strength of this current is measured in volts.
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Wet Cell Batteries
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A wet cell battery works on the same basic principles, using a liquid acid to create the electrochemical reactions. This liquid acid is also called "electrolyte." In a wet cell battery, the two poles are submerged in this liquid.
Uses of Wet Cell Batteries
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Because they are cheap to manufacture, wet cells remain quite popular. Many varieties of wet cell are rechargeable, leading to common use in automobiles, recreational vehicles and boats. The most common varieties of wet cell are lead acid.
Dry Cell Batteries
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A technological step beyond the wet cell battery is the dry cell. Unlike the liquid filled wet cell, dry cell batteries use an electrolyte paste as the acidic medium between poles. This paste contains just enough moisture to allow electrical current to flow freely. Because the battery is not liquid filled, the dry cell can be used in a variety of circumstances without worry of leakage or spilling. As a result, dry cell batteries are the most commonly used batteries today.
Uses of Dry Cell Batteries
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Common varieties of dry cell include the familiar alkaline battery, as well as zinc-carbon, and silver-oxide batteries. These batteries come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from AAAA to D, from 1.5 volts to 9 volts. They are used in most electronic devices.
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References
- Photo Credit battery image by Sergey Juchkov from Fotolia.com
