Batteries: An Introduction

In Batteries: An Introduction, you'll learn ...

• The parts of a voltaic cell and how they operate
• Types of voltaic cells
• How cells are interconnected to form a battery

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 2 CPD

Length: 31 pages

Electricity cannot always be generated where and when it is needed. A battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy.

Many different types of batteries are available for a wide variety of applications, from storing solar power for satellites in space to powering heart pacemakers fitted inside peoples' chests. All batteries contain one or more cells, but the terms "battery" and "cell" are often used interchangeably. A cell is the working chemical unit inside a battery. Each cell has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. These do not touch each other but are immersed in a solid or liquid electrolyte. When a battery is connected to an electric circuit, a chemical reaction takes place in the electrolyte causing ions (electrically charged atoms) to flow through it. This movement of electric charge makes an electric current flow through the cell and through the circuit it is connected to.

Cells can be divided into primary cells and secondary cells. Primary cells include dry cells, better known as flashlight batteries. Secondary cells, better known as rechargeable batteries, include the lead-acid batteries used in automobiles and the nickel-cadmium batteries used in cellular phones. Unlike primary cells, secondary cells can be recharged simply by passing a current through them in the reverse direction to which they normally allow a current to flow. This course will discuss the characteristics and application of different types of batteries.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• List the parts and purpose of a cell with sufficient accuracy to distinguish them from related concepts.
• Relate the chemical processes that takes place in the primary and secondary cells and demonstrate understanding through an assessment question or scenario.
• Trace battery terminology, including electrochemical action, anode, cathode, and electrolyte, with sufficient accuracy to distinguish these terms from related concepts.
• Choose appropriate methods for preventing polarization and local action based on their causes in a representative engineering or safety scenario.
• State the various cells in use today and some of their capabilities and limitations and demonstrate understanding through an assessment question or scenario.
• AApply the three ways of combining cells to form a battery in a representative engineering or safety scenario.
• Demonstrate general maintenance procedures for batteries, including the use of a hydrometer, battery capacity and rating, and battery charging in a representative engineering or safety scenario.
• Select safety precautions for working with and around batteries in a representative engineering or safety scenario.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 20 questions. CPD credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.