Technology
How does a battery work?
A battery works by turning stored chemical energy into electricity through a reaction that pushes electrons from one terminal to the other. When you connect it in a circuit, that flow of electrons powers your device until the chemicals are used up.
See it in motion.
Watch a 2-minute animated lesson that shows exactly how a battery works.
Step by step
- 1It stores energy in chemicals at two terminals.
- 2A chemical reaction frees electrons at the negative terminal.
- 3Electrons flow through your device to the positive terminal.
- 4That flow of electrons is the electric current.
- 5Rechargeable batteries reverse the reaction to refill.
Frequently asked questions
- How does a battery produce electricity?
- A chemical reaction releases electrons at one terminal that flow through the circuit to the other, and that electron flow powers your device.
- Why do batteries die?
- The chemicals that drive the reaction get used up; once they're depleted, no more electrons flow until you recharge or replace it.
- How do rechargeable batteries work?
- Applying electricity reverses the chemical reaction, restoring the original chemicals so the battery can release energy again.