There is a lot that goes on inside the car battery, and all of it is for the sole purpose of generating electricity. The battery works in tandem with the alternator to provide your vehicle with the power it needs to start and run. The battery also works with the alternator to provide power to all of the electrical accessories in your automobile. The average lifespan of a car battery is three to four years. If your battery is older than this, you are on the road to a dead battery.
A Basic Explanation
We are going to explain what goes on inside a car battery both basically and in detail. You can decide what you want to know. Basically, the inside of a car battery has lead plates that are immersed in acid to create a chemical reaction that generates electricity. The electricity is routed into the engine through the battery terminals and battery cables. This is a very basic explanation of how the battery works.
A Detailed Explanation
Twelve lead plates combine to create six cells in a standard car battery. Each cell has a lead dioxide plate and a lead plate. The two plates in each cell generate two volts of electricity. As such, 2 × 6 = 12, i.e., the standard car battery is a 12-volt battery. The cells are laid in a row inside the battery case. The battery case is made of plastic. This is why the case on an old battery can crack.
Contained in the battery in which the cells are immersed are sulfuric acid and water. The combination of the different types of lead and sulfuric acid is what creates chemical reactions. Two chemical reactions occur. First, the lead plates in each cell have their own chemical reaction going on, and this chemical reaction creates moving ions and lead sulfate.
The ions also move around the lead plates quickly to create another chemical reaction. This chemical reaction produces lead sulfate and hydrogen. In addition to the chemical reactions, moving ions generates electricity. The electricity makes its way to the positive or negative battery terminal. The electricity is then routed through the battery cables.
There you have it. That is what is going on inside your car’s battery. As an aside, it is important to note that if you are having electrical problems with your automobile, it could be that the battery is dying. Bring your vehicle to our shop so we can determine the problem and fix it.
