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The primary battery converts chemical energy to electrical energy directly, using the chemical materials within the cell to start the action.

The secondary battery must first be charged with electrical energy before it can convert chemical energy to electrical energy.

The secondary battery is frequently called a storage battery, since it stores the energy that is supplied to it.

• The metals in a cell are called the electrodes, and the chemical solution is called the electrolyte.

• The electrolyte reacts oppositely with the two different electrodes

• It causes one electrode to lose electrons and develop a positive charge; and it causes one other electrode to build a surplus of electrons and develop a negative charge.

• The difference in potential between the two electrode charges is the cell voltage.

The Electrolyte

• When charging first started, electrolysis broke down each water molecule (H2O) into two hydrogen ions (H+) and one oxygen ion (O-2).

• The positive hydrogen ions attracted negative sulfate ions (SO4-2) from each electrode.

• These combinations produce H2SO4, which is sulfuric acid.