The first alkaline battery was developed in 1949.
The feel-good commercials for Duracell and the often-humorous ones with the Energizer bunny on U.S. TV reveal the dominance of the alkaline battery in battery-powered devices today, ranging from smoke detectors to remote-control vehicles.
History
Construction workers in Baghdad discovered a second century tomb in 1936 that contained clay pots sealed with pitch around an iron rod. In 1938, Dr. Wilhelm Konig determined that it could have been the first battery. The "Mythbusters" cable TV show actually built functioning replicas that were producing 1.5 to 2 volts of power.
Batteries
In 1820, British scientist John Daniell developed a battery that employed zinc sulfate and copper sulfate liquids suspended between two metal plates, producing about 1.1 volts and providing power to phones, doorbells and other devices for the next 100 years.
Zinc Chloride Batteries
Carbon batteries use zinc chloride as an electrolyte solution to carry the current between the cathode (negative pole) consisting of manganese dioxide and the anode (positive pole) made of zinc.
Alkaline Batteries
In an alkaline battery, the cathode is made of manganese dioxide, while the anode is made of powdered zinc metal, and the electrolyte is a potassium hydroxide solution. These batteries are typically not rechargeable and discarded after depletion.
Differences
Zinc chloride batteries supply 50 percent more energy than zinc carbon batteries, but alkaline batteries produce 500 percent more power. This gives alkaline batteries the edge against zinc chloride, especially in high drain devices.
Tags: alkaline battery, manganese dioxide, percent more, zinc chloride
