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Batteries have been a crucial component of cars since always. Modern automobiles are entirely dependent on these portable sources of energy, which are found in everything from hearing aids to mobile devices and vehicles. But, despite its prevalence in the daily lives of people, batteries are overlooked often. Do you know how the battery works? Would you be able to explain it to any other person? First Point Automotive is here to assist you in all the battery-related services in Bilston.
Anatomy of a battery
Most of the batteries comprise of three necessary parts, which are an electrolyte, electrodes, and a separator. There are primarily two electrodes in a battery; each is made of conductive materials but offers different roles.
Between the electrodes and inside them is the electrolyte. It is a gel or liquid-like substance that contains ions or electrically charged particles. The final part of the battery is a separator, which is straightforward in its use. Its role is to keep the anode and the cathode separated from each other. Without a splitter, both the electrodes will come in contact with each other, which would lead to a short circuit and prevent the battery from working correctly.
How does it work?
To understand how the battery works, picture yourself putting alkaline batteries such as double AAs in a flashlight. When the batteries are placed in the flashlight and then switch it on, what you would do is complete a circuit. The stored chemical energy in the battery gets converted to electrical energy, which travels out of the battery and in the base of the flashlight, causing it to switch on.
All of these parts work together to turn the flashlight on. The electrodes present in the battery contain atoms of certain conducting materials. The series of chemical reactions that take place in the electrodes are called oxidation-reduction reactions. The cathode is the oxidizing agent as it accepts electrons from the anode. It is known as the reducing agent because it loses electrons.
Ultimately, the reactions result in the flow of ions between the cathode and the anode as well as making the electrons free from the atoms. These electrons congregate in the anode, and as a result, the two electrodes have different charges. This difference leads to the electrons to want to move towards the positively charged cathode. However, there’s no way to get inside the battery as the separator prevents them from doing it. When you flick the switch on the flashlight, it will change. The electrons now will have a way to reach the cathode. But first, they have to get through the base of the flashlight bulb.
The life expectancy of the battery of a car is around 4-6 years. This depends on the vehicle type and driving habits. Let First Point Automotive check the condition of your battery and the charging system of a car. Batteries Bilston services offered by us also include the battery replacement, or we can also diagnose the fault that is preventing the battery from attaining sufficient charge. What are you waiting for? Get your batteries checked from the best garage!