How does a rechargeable battery work?
What Is a Battery? Whether you’re talking about the rechargeable or non-rechargeable variety, all batteries work on the same basic principle: They are essentially a canister of chemicals that produce electricity. Certain chemical reactions do this via the principles of electrochemistry. The most basic electrochemical reactions in batteries entail electrolyte substances (such as acids) causing metals to oxidize. As the metal oxidizes, it gives off electrons; these electrons can also be transferred to another metal in the same electrolyte solution, resulting in electricity as they flow. The positive and negative sides of a battery connect to these two metals, but they are not directly connected to one another (this would be highly dangerous). Instead, electrons flow from the negatively charged side, through a device (which powers it) and into the positively charged side. Early, simple batteries suspended metal in a liquid electrolyte, such as iodine or salt water. Modern batteries are ma
