BATTERIES

The popular uses of the galvanic cells are Batteries.

Battery is a storage device used for the storage and conversion of chemical
energy into electrical energy.
It has a positive terminal (cathode) and a negative terminal (anode).
Battery consists of group of two or more electric cells connected together
electrically in series.
Each cell is a single electrochemical unit contains a positive terminal,
or cathode, and a negative terminal, or anode.
Batteries are of two types.
1. Primary cell or Battery
2. Secondary cell or Rechargeable Battery

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 Alkaline Batteries
Batteries

Car Batteries

Pb-Acid H2SO4

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Primary batteries or Primary Cells
The batteries/cells which are used only once and can not be recharged again are

called primary batteries/primary cells.

This type of batteries/cells cann’t be used again and again since the chemical

reaction occurs once and then the cell becomes dead after discharging
These batteries are used as dc power source.

Example. Dry cell

Secondary batteries or Secondary Cells
The batteries/cells which can be used again and again after recharging it is called

secondary batteries/secondary cells.

This type of batteries/cells are rechargeable by passing an electric current

through them
The passage of electric current reverses the cell reaction and regenerates the

reactant which are responsible to produce the electricity.

This batteries/cells are widely used in car, mobile phone, laptop, digital camera,

emergency light, electric clock, power stations laboratory, telephone exchange,

motor, etc.
These are reversible cells, they behave as galvanic cell while discharging and as

electrolytic cell while charging.

Examples are Nickel-Cadmium battery, Lead acid battery and Lithium-ion
battery
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We will study about the Lead acid battery and Lithium-ion battery
 Lead-acid battery
The battery which is made up of lead (Pb), lead oxide (PbO 2) and H2SO4 is called as lead-
acid battery.
In this battery Pb acts as anode, PbO2 acts as cathode and H2SO4 acts as electrolyte
The anode (Pb) and cathode (PbO2) are separated by a thin wooden piece and kept inside
the dil. H2SO4 (38%) electrolyte.
A single lead-acid battery cell produces 2 volts
Lead-acid battery produces electricity by the conversion of chemical energy stored in the
battery into electrical energy.
Electrical energy production process in battery is called discharging process.
Discharging in battery occurs through a spontaneous redox reaction.
After first discharge or after first use, lead-acid battery needs to be charged again because
the reaction products do not leave the electrode surfaces
Through charging, the cell reaction in lead-acid battery can be reversed that was occurred
during the discharging process (electricity production)
Hence the reactants are regenerated once again which are responsible to produce the
electricity.
Lead-acid battery can be recharged by connecting the negative terminal and positive
terminal of the charger to the negative terminal and positive terminal of the battery,
respectively.
The lead acid cell is represented as
Pb | PbSO4 (s), H2SO4 (aq.), PbSO4 (s) | PbO2
The lead acid battery when produces electricity or it is discharging, then the reactions occurs at the anode and
cathode is represented as
At anode: Pb → Pb+2 (aq.) + 2e-
Pb+2 (aq.) + 2H+(aq.) + SO42- (aq.) →PbSO4 (s)

At cathode: PbO2(s) + 2H+(aq.) + SO42-(aq.) + 2e– → PbSO4(s) + 2H2O

Therefore, the overall reaction during the electricity production or discharging can be written as
Pb (s) + PbO2 (s) + 2H2SO4 (aq.) [4H+(aq.) + 2SO42-(aq.)] → 2PbSO4 (s) + 2H2O
Since H2SO4 is consumed during the electricity production or discharging process, hence amount of H 2SO4 in the
battery will decrease gradually, when it will reach below 1.20 g/cm 3, then the battery needs to be recharging.
During charging, the reactions at the anode and cathode are reverse of those occurred during discharging. During charging,
the anode becomes cathode and cathode becomes anode. The reactions during the recharging can be represented as
At cathode: PbSO4 (s) + 2e– → Pb (s) + SO42– (aq.)
At anode: PbSO4 (s) + 2H2O → PbO2 (s) + 4H+(aq.) + SO42-(aq.) + 2e–
Therefore, the overall reaction during the charging can be written as
2PbSO4 (s) + 2H2O → Pb (s) + PbO2 (s) + 2H2SO4 (aq.) [4H+(aq.) + 2SO42-(aq.)]

The PbSO4 deposited over the anode and cathode at the time of discharging process is once again converted to H 2SO4, Pb and PbO2

during the charging process. Pb is recovered at Pb rod cathode (which was anode at discharging process) and PbO2 is recovered at

the PbO2 anode (which was cathode at discharging process). During discharging, the battery acts as a voltaic cell (produces

electricity/electron through lead (Pb) oxidation) and during recharging, the battery acts as an electrolytic cell (electrical energy is
 Pb

Pictorial representation of lead acid battery (c) and its discharging (a) and charging (b) process

Applications
Lead acid batteries are widely used for current supply in railways, mines, laboratories,
hospitals, automobiles, power stations, telephone exchange, gas engine ignition, Ups (stand-
by supplies).
Advantages:
Low cost, rechargeable, portable and constant potential
Disadvantages:
Use of Conc.H2SO4 is dangerous
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