How does a battery lift charge from an area of low to high energy?

In summary: This is how charging a capacitor works: you put two metal plates in a Solution with an electric current running through it. The metal plates will start to accumulate deposits on them, because they are taking away electrons from the Solution.
  • #1
armageddon9007
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I understand how a galvanic element works at an electrochemical level. I understand how the electrons move from the anode to the canode, and also how electrolysis works.

I do not understand how to relate the following in an electrochemical perspective:

Battery that drives charge through a circuit
If we consider the analogy which is being applied here:

The battery is considered as lifting a charge from a position of low potential energy to a place with high potential energy. A more exact explanation may be the following:

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/circuits/u9l1b.cfm#circuits
On the bottom of the page you can find the explanation beneath "Electric Potential in Circuits"

Again, I understand this in a general way, but not how this way of thinking relates to the microscopic or electrochemical perspective. If we now consider the battery in the circuit in the clip (link above) as a galvanic element of zink and copper:

fetch.php?w=&h=&cache=cache&media=galvanic_cell.png


Where does this "lifting" within the battery enter the picture? According to the explanation above it is as if the battery lifts charge from a side with low potential energy (which I assume is the equivalent of the cathode) to a place with high potential energy (anode), but in a galvanic element the charge flows just one way from the anode to the cathode. I understand how a galvanic element pushes charge from a place of high potential energy to a place with low potential energy, but not the other way around. If charge is to flow the other way an electrolysis must be performed, in which the battery is charged. But according tot he explanation above it is as if the battery, when it works as a basic galvanic element, lifts charge from a place with low potential energy to a place with high potential energy by pushing it against the electric field, without performing an electrolysis. This I do not understand, and I would like an explanation.

Charging a capacitor:
If the battery in this video is a galvanic element () then I do not understand how charge flows "through" the galvanic element at an electrochemical level. Do the electrons go to the negative side because the battery says there has to be a potential difference, thus the electrons go to the oppposite side because there should be more electrons on the other side?
 
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  • #2
Copper "prefers" to be in the reduced state, zinc "prefers" to be oxidized. So copper attaches to the electrode and steal electrons from there, while zinc jumps into the solution getting rid of electrons - that means one electrode becomes charged positively, the other negatively - and you have a potential difference.
 

Related to How does a battery lift charge from an area of low to high energy?

1. What is a battery and how does it work?

A battery is a device that stores and supplies electrical energy to power electronic devices. It works by using a chemical reaction to convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy, which is then used to power devices.

2. How does a battery move charge from an area of low to high energy?

A battery has two electrodes, one positive and one negative, which are immersed in an electrolyte solution. When the battery is connected to a circuit, a chemical reaction occurs at the electrodes, creating a flow of electrons from the negative to the positive electrode. This flow of electrons is what we call electricity and it is what powers our devices.

3. What factors affect the movement of charge in a battery?

The movement of charge in a battery is affected by several factors such as the type of chemicals used in the battery, the surface area of the electrodes, the concentration of the electrolyte solution, and the temperature. These factors can affect the rate of the chemical reaction and the flow of electrons in the battery.

4. How does a battery maintain a constant flow of charge?

A battery maintains a constant flow of charge by balancing the chemical reactions at the electrodes. As the battery discharges and electrons flow from the negative to the positive electrode, the chemicals in the battery are converted into different substances. This creates an imbalance, which is corrected when the battery is recharged, reversing the chemical reactions and restoring the battery's ability to generate electricity.

5. Can a battery generate infinite energy?

No, a battery cannot generate infinite energy. It has a limited amount of chemical energy stored inside it, which is converted into electrical energy. Once the chemical reaction is complete and all the stored energy is used up, the battery will stop producing electricity. Recharging the battery replenishes its chemical energy, but it still has a finite amount and will eventually run out.

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