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Rechargeable batteries use reversible reactions, while non-rechargeable cells stop once one reactant is used up. Free notes and 9 questions answered.
Types of Cells and Batteries is part of Chemical cells and fuel cells (chemistry only) in GCSE AQA Higher Chemistry.
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GCSE AQA Higher
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Rechargeable batteries use reversible reactions, while non-rechargeable cells stop once one reactant is used up. Free notes and 9 questions answered.
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Use this lesson to stay inside Chemical cells and fuel cells (chemistry only) while connecting the detail back to the wider Topic 5: Energy changes topic.
Read the core explanations from Types of Cells and Batteries before testing yourself from memory.
Your phone battery dies. Your TV remote stops working. Behind these everyday frustrations lies fascinating chemistry - metals literally giving up electrons to create the electricity that powers our lives.
All cells work on the same principle: different metals have different tendencies to lose electrons. When you connect two different metals through an electrolyte, electrons flow from the more reactive metal to the less reactive one. This flow of electrons is electric current.
Think of it like a chemical waterfall. Just as water flows downhill from high to low ground, electrons flow from reactive metals (like zinc) to less reactive ones (like copper). The bigger the difference in reactivity, the higher the voltage.
Non-rechargeable cells are like a one-way chemical reaction. Once the reactive metal is used up, the party's over. No more electrons can flow, and your device goes dead.
Alkaline batteries are the most common non-rechargeable cells. Inside, zinc metal gradually gets oxidised (loses electrons) while manganese dioxide gets reduced (gains electrons). When all the zinc is used up, the reaction stops forever.
The key word here is 'irreversible'. You can't force the zinc back into its original form by plugging it into the mains - the chemical changes are permanent. This is why you throw alkaline batteries away rather than charging them.
Rechargeable cells are chemistry's comeback story. When the cell runs flat, you can reverse the chemical reactions by forcing current backwards through the cell. This restores the original chemicals, ready to produce electricity again.
Picture a rechargeable battery like a chemical see-saw. During discharge in a rechargeable cell, one electrode loses electrons and the other gains them. During charging, an external power supply forces the reactions to run in reverse so the original chemicals are re-formed., resetting everything.
The crucial difference is that rechargeable cells use reversible reactions. Lithium-ion batteries, for example, shuttle lithium ions back and forth between two electrodes. No reactant gets permanently used up - it just moves from one side to the other.
Not all metal combinations make good cells. Different metals can be used in cells to produce electricity. The further apart two metals are in the series, the higher the voltage.
Here's the key part of the reactivity series for cells:Most reactive: Potassium > Sodium > Lithium > Calcium > Magnesium > Aluminium > Zinc > Iron > Lead > Hydrogen > Copper > Silver > Gold :Least reactive
Worked example: Predicting Cell Voltage from Reactivity Data
A student compares a zinc-copper cell. What affects the voltage?
Answer: 0.42V with zinc as the negative terminal
This calculation method works because each metal has a specific tendency to lose electrons. The bigger the difference in these tendencies, the greater the 'electron pressure' pushing current around the circuit.
Each type of cell has trade-offs. Understanding these helps you choose the right cell for each job - and explains why your phone uses lithium-ion while your smoke alarm uses alkaline.
Non-rechargeable cells (alkaline): Cheap to buy, reliable voltage, long shelf life, but create waste when disposed of. Perfect for low-drain devices like remote controls that need steady power for months.
Rechargeable cells (lithium-ion): Expensive initially, but can be recharged hundreds of times. Higher energy density means they're lighter. Ideal for high-drain devices like phones that need lots of power quickly.
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Move to the related lessons or back to the topic page when you need the wider sequence before exam-style practice.
Rechargeable batteries work because their reactions are reversible: during charging, an external power supply forces the reactions to run in reverse so the original chemicals are re-formed. Lithium-ion batteries shuttle lithium ions back and forth between two electrodes.
Lithium-ion batteries shuttle lithium ions back and forth between two electrodes using reversible reactions. No reactant gets permanently used up, so they can be recharged hundreds of times, and their higher energy density makes them lighter.
In an alkaline battery, zinc metal is gradually oxidised (loses electrons) while manganese dioxide is reduced (gains electrons). When all the zinc is used up the reaction stops forever, so alkaline batteries are non-rechargeable.
In a non-rechargeable cell, the chemical reactions stop permanently when one reactant is used up and cannot be reversed. In a rechargeable cell, the reactions can be reversed by supplying an external electrical current, which restores the original reactants.
The further apart two metals are in the reactivity series, the higher the voltage of the cell. Electrons flow from the more reactive metal, which is the negative terminal, to the less reactive metal; in a zinc-copper cell, zinc is the negative terminal.
Alkaline batteries are cheap, reliable and have a long shelf life but create waste, so they suit low-drain devices like remote controls. Lithium-ion batteries are expensive initially but can be recharged hundreds of times and are lighter, so they suit phones.
Alkaline batteries can't be recharged because their reactions are irreversible. Zinc is gradually oxidised while manganese dioxide is reduced, and once all the zinc is used up the reaction stops forever, so the batteries are thrown away rather than charged.
In a cell, electrons flow from the more reactive metal, the negative terminal, to the less reactive metal, the positive terminal. In a zinc-copper cell electrons flow from zinc to copper, and current flows in the opposite direction to the electrons.
A zinc-copper cell produces about 0.42V, with zinc as the negative terminal because zinc is more reactive than copper. The further apart two metals are in the reactivity series, the higher the voltage.