What is the difference between primary cells, secondary cells and fuel cells?
They are all electrochemical cells which means that they generate Electricity, in the form of Direct Current, from a chemical reaction. They difference is the nature of the chemical reaction and how the reactants are handled in the cell. A primary cell is a single use battery. It can be used once and then it must be thrown away or recycled. A secondary cell is more commonly called a rechargeable battery. This is the battery commonly used in most applications, such as cell phones, cars, etc. A fuel cell is different in that the reactants are continuously fed into and product is removed from the cell. It does not need to be recharged, and can continuously produce electricity as long as fuel is provided.
