A battery for the purposes of this explanation will be a device that can store energy in a chemical form and convert that stored chemical energy into electrical energy when needed. These are the most common batteries, the ones with the familiar cylindrical shape.
Batteries are used to store chemical energy. Placing a battery in a circuit allows this chemical energy to generate electricity which can power device like mobile phones, TV remotes and even cars. Generally, batteries only store small amounts of energy. More and more mobile devices like tablets, phones and laptops use rechargeable batteries.
“The ions transport current through the electrolyte while the electrons flow in the external circuit, and that’s what generates an electric current.” If the battery is disposable, it will produce electricity until it runs out of reactants (same chemical potential on both electrodes).
Once charged, the battery can be disconnected from the circuit to store the chemical potential energy for later use as electricity. Batteries were invented in 1800, but their chemical processes are complex.
These are the most common batteries, the ones with the familiar cylindrical shape. There are no batteries that actually store electrical energy; all batteries store energy in some other form.
Rechargeable batteries (like the kind in your cellphone or in your car) are designed so that electrical energy from an outside source (the charger that you plug into the wall or the dynamo in your car) can be applied to the chemical system, and reverse its operation, restoring the battery’s charge.