Today, batteries play a significant role in the automotive industry. It is an unavoidable unit even in our home, office and in the marine and leisure industries.  Batteries are used in various applications.

Do we know the main components of a battery and how do they function? 

Battery stores electricity for future use and converts chemical energy into electrical energy. To understand how a battery works, you must know its structure and its components.

Most automotive batteries are lead-acid batteries and Lead-acid batteries have 4 main components – anode, cathode, electrolyte and separators. The anode is the positive plate while the cathode is the negative plate. These plates are coated with lead oxide and immersed in the electrolyte solution made of sulphuric acid and water. Separators prevent the anode and cathode in direct contact with each other but still allow ions to pass through. Electricity flows from the battery when there is a circuit between the positive and negative terminals.

We need to understand that lead-acid batteries function in a constant process of charge and discharge. When a battery is connected to a load that needs electricity, example starter motor in your car, while started the current flows from the battery and it begins to discharge electricity. 

Automotive batteries can be recharged. This happens when the engine functions and the alternator put current back into the battery. This unique process of discharge and charge in the lead-acid battery means that energy can be discharged and restored repeatedly.