Lead–acid battery
device · 1859 · Industrial Revolution
The first rechargeable battery (Gaston Planté).
What it is made of
- Lead plates — has part. Negative electrodes.
- Lead dioxide plates — has part. Positive electrodes.
- Separator — has part. Separators between the plates.
Principles and materials it uses
- Electrochemical reaction — uses. A reversible reaction of lead and lead dioxide in sulfuric acid.
- Sulfuric acid — uses. The electrolyte.
- Hydrometer — uses. A car battery's charge is checked with a hydrometer by the density of its acid.
- Sulfuric acid — is made of. The electrolyte.
Where it is used
- Submarine — is part of. Underwater, electric motors run on batteries.
- Uninterruptible power supply — is part of. A battery.
History: what it evolved from and what it influenced
- Voltaic pile — evolved from. Planté’s battery developed the idea of a chemical current source by making it rechargeable.
- Lithium-ion battery — evolved into. The lithium-ion battery is the next generation of rechargeable chemical current sources, with higher specific energy.
What it is a kind of
- Car battery — includes. Lead–acid.