How Do Zinc & Magnesium Oxide Make Electricity?
The Basics
All batteries are essentially electrochemical devices. They use the chemical reactions of two different substances to create an electric current. Fundamental battery design needs two electrodes: an anode (negative terminal) and a cathode (positive terminal). These are not placed into direct contact, as doing so would result in a short circuit. They are instead connected indirectly through an electrolyte medium. Using the electrolyte as a bridge, the anode and cathode react so that positively charged electrons travel to the cathode and negatively charged electrons travel to the anode. Standing alone, this operates as a closed circuit for electric current. When a device is connected to the battery, it forms a larger circuit, with power flowing out of the cathode and then back into the anode, minus much of the charge.
Zinc-Manganese
Most of the batteries used for portable electronics, such as portable radios and iPod players, remote controls and clocks are run on what are called alkaline batteries, and most of these batteries are of the zinc-manganese type. In these batteries, the anode is made from zinc and the cathode from manganese dioxide. The electrode is potassium hydroxide, a common electrolyte for small, portable batteries of this kind.
Non-Rechargable
Zinc-manganese batteries are almost always not meant to be recharged. Trying to recharge these batteries is dangerous, and will likely result in a rupture of the casing, spilling the dangerous liquid potassium hydroxide electrolyte. There are guides for charging these batteries manually, but this is a very risky procedure and should only be undertaken by experts.
Tags: these batteries, charged electrons, charged electrons travel, electric current, electrons travel
