Battery terms
Acid: Any substance that donates protons
Alkali metals: Extremely reactive group of element in Group 1 of the periodic table.
Ampere: The Standard International base unit of current intensity. 1 Ampere flows through one Ohm of resistance, when a potential of one volt is applied. I=E/R.
Ampere-Hour: The quantity of electricity that passes through a circuit in one hour, when the rate of flow is one ampere.
Anion: A negatively charged non-metallic ion.
Anode: The electrode in an electrochemical/galvanic cell that experiences oxidation, or gives up electrons..
Battery Capacity: The total number of Ampere-hours that can be derived from a fully loaded battery, under a specified set of conditions. The current supplying capability of a battery in ampere-hours.
Cation: A positively charged metallic ion.
Cathode: The electrode in an electrochemical/galvanic cell, at which a reduction reaction occurs, or the electrode that receives electrons from an external circuit.
Charge Retention: The fraction of full capacity available from a battery under a specified set of conditions, after the battery has been stored for a given amount of time.
Charge: A quantity of electricity associated with a space, particle, or body.
Charging Efficiency: The ratio of output of a secondary battery to the input required to restore it to its original state, under a specified set of conditions.
Charge Retention: The holding of an electric charge by a cell or battery when no current is being drawn from it.
Coulomb: All electric charge exists in discrete quantities that are integral multiples of electronic charge or 1.6022 x 10-19 Coulombs.
Coulombic Efficiency: The ratio of the output of charge by a battery to the input of charge. Coulombic efficiency is determined by the internal resistance of a cell.
Coulombic Output: The electrical energy or charge delivered by a battery when in use.
Current: The movement of charge carriers, such as electrons, holes, or ions. Expressed in amperes.
Current Drain: The withdrawal of current from a cell or battery.
Discharge: The conversion of the chemical energy stored within a cell to electrical energy, and the subsequent withdrawal this electrical energy into a load.
Discharge Profile: A graphic indicating the discharge characteristics of a battery system, as a function of time.
Discharge Rate: An expression of the speed with which a battery is being discharged, at a specific point in time.
Dry Cell: A cell with an immobilized electrolyte.
Electrochemical Reaction: A reaction whereby the chemical energy contained within cell components is converted to electrical energy, or conversely a reaction brought around by the supply of electrical energy, which gets converted to chemical energy. If only the first case is applicable, the cell is called an electrolysis cell. If only the second scenario applies, the cell is termed a galvanic cell.
Electrolyte: A solution through which an electric current may be carried through the motion of ions.
Electron: The elemental particle of an atom having a negative charge.
Energy: The capacity for doing work. Common forms of energy include electric energy, chemical energy, potential energy, heat energy, magnetic energy, mechanical energy, kinetic energy, etc. In the context of this exercise energy may be viewed as the work performed by electric power.
Energy Density: The ratio of the energy available from a battery, to its cell mass. Expressed in Joules per gram.
Hybrid Battery: Electrochemical cell in which one of the two active reagents is in the gas phase and maybe supplied from an external source.
Internal Resistance: The opposition or resistance to the flow of an electric current, within a cell.
Ion: A particle in solution that carries a positive or negative charge.
Ionic Conduction: In the context of this tutorial ionic conduction is the transfer of electric charge via ions contained within an electrolytic solution.
Leclanche Battery System: The Leclanche or zinc-carbon dry cell battery has existed for over 100 years and has been the most widely used of all dry cell batteries because of a combination of low cost, ready availability, and relatively strond performance.
Load: A term used to indicate the current drain on a battery when power is delivered to external devices or circuit elements..
Memory Effect: A phenomenon in which a cell, operated in successive cycles to the same, but less than full depth of discharge, temporarily experiences a depression of its discharge voltage and subsequent loss of the remainder of its capacity at normal voltage levels.
Nominal Voltage: The characteristic operating voltage or rated voltage of a battery.
Ohm: The basic unit of resistance, reactance, or impedance.
Operating Voltage: See Working Voltage
Oxidation: The loss of electrons by a chemical species.
Parallel: A term used to describe the inter-connection of cell or batteries in which all like terminals are connected together.
Polarization: The change of the potential of a cell or electrode via the passage of electric current.
Potential: The electrical pressure causes charge carriers to move through a substance or circuit.
Power: The rate of transmitting current or charge. Expressed in Watts.
Power Density: The ratio of power available from a cell to its cell mass.
Rated Capacity: The number of ampere-hours a battery can deliver under specific (rate of discharge, end voltage, temperature) conditions.
Recharge: The conversion of the electric energy provided by an external source into chemical energy, within a cell or battery.
Reduction: The gain of electrons by a chemical species.
Resistance: The opposition to current flow; expressed in Ohms.
Separator: An ion permeable, electronically non-conductive material, which prevents electronic contact between electrodes of opposite polarity, within the same cell.
Series: The inter-connection of cells or batteries whereby, the positive terminal of the first is connected to the negative terminal of the second, and so on. (Check this)
SLI Battery: A battery designed to start internal combustion engines and power the electrical systems in automobiles when the engine is not running.
Specific Energy: The ratio of the energy output of a battery to its weight.
Solution: A uniform mixture of chemicals. In solution it is impossible to distinguish separate solute and solvent particles.
Standby Battery: A battery designed for emergency use in the vent of main power failure
State of Charge Indicator: A device indicating the condition of the battery in terms of remaining available capacity.
Turnaround Efficiency: The ratio of average voltage during discharge to average voltage during recharge under specified conditions of charge and discharge.
Volt: The basic unit expressing a difference of potential.
Voltage: Electromotive force or difference of potential. E=IR, where I is current and R is resistance.
Voltage Delay: The time delay required for a battery to deliver the required voltage after being placed under load.
Volumetric Energy: The ratio of available energy to cell volume. Expressed in Joules per cubic centimeter.
Working Voltage: The typical range of voltages of a battery during discharge.
