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Does current flow through a Battery?

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IanB:

--- Quote from: kevin original on October 17, 2021, 04:08:52 am ---Thinking a bit more on it. I don't believe the ions are actually accepting or releasing electrons at the electrode.
--- End quote ---

Of course they are.

The cell has to remain electrically neutral. Whenever an electron leaves one electrode an electron enters the other electrode to balance it. You can look at this from the electrical circuit's point of view, where the electrons are entering and leaving the electrodes through wires, or you can look at this from the electrolyte's point of view inside the cell, where the electrons are entering and leaving the electrolyte solution. Whichever way you look at it, everything balances, and overall electrons are flowing round the circuit.

GlennSprigg:

--- Quote from: eti on October 17, 2021, 12:42:48 am ---Well of course it does.

--- End quote ---

Hmmm... I know what you say sounds logical, but just sticking to Capacitors for a sec, there is no actual 'current' flowing internally between the plates.
It just holds a 'Charge', where one side holds an excess of electrons compared to the other side. It's the 'Circuit' connected to such a Capacitor that
'transfers' the excess of electrons from one side, and balances it to the other side!!  Even with Batteries, this is so, but done chemically though.

Say there 'are' 4 batteries in series... you have to think about 'Charge-Relativity' to grasp it all. Again, it's the relative charge difference between the 'cells'
that causes a flow from the -ve end of one battery, to the +ve end of the next battery etc, and only when an external circuit is completed! So the END of
last one, flows into the beginning of the first one, via the external circuit. It is not flowing 'internally' within one cell !!   :phew: 8)

ejeffrey:

--- Quote from: GlennSprigg on October 17, 2021, 12:53:10 pm ---
--- Quote from: eti on October 17, 2021, 12:42:48 am ---Well of course it does.

--- End quote ---

Hmmm... I know what you say sounds logical, but just sticking to Capacitors for a sec, there is no actual 'current' flowing internally between the plates.

--- End quote ---

Batteries are not capacitors. 



--- Quote ---last one, flows into the beginning of the first one, via the external circuit. It is not flowing 'internally' within one cell !!   :phew: 8)

--- End quote ---

It most certainly is.

shakalnokturn:
I had to re-read the definition of electric current before having a word to say, to me it fits batteries and capacitors.
Considering self discharge, current even flows more through batteries than elsewhere...  ;D
(To attempt an answer to the topic question.)

GlennSprigg:
Regarding the last two answers here... you are mis-interpreting what I was saying.

Firstly, I'm NOT talking about imperfections/breakdowns in the real-world, where a Capacitor or Battery may 'leak' internally,
and lose some/all of it's charge internally. That certainly happens 'within' the cell, but is unrelated to what I am saying!   :scared:

If the above doesn't occur, then they hold their 'charge' until such time as the External Circuit connected to such devices performs
the 'actual' completion of the path of the Electrons, back to the other side!  I don't understand the problem of grasping that ??   :phew:
And the way a 'Battery' discharges, (through an external circuit), is the same as a Capacitor so discharges, but using 'obviously' different
technology, as the charge is Chemically Stored instead, not with a 'charge' either side of a non-conducting Dielectric. So I stand by my
statement the Electrons flow 'externally' from one side of such devices, and 'back' to the other side. I'm not trying to be silly here ?   :o

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