Redox reaction is the basic principle of electrochemical battery. Before studying modern battery, let's see Voltaic cell to understand basic structure of battery.
Voltaic cell or Galvanic cell .
Voltaic cell or Galvanic cell .
Luigi Galvani, Italian scientist, discovered that if two different metals are in contact, and put on different part of flog's muscle at the same time, the muscle of flog is contracted. He named this "animal electricity", because he thought it is linked with animal's muscle. Few years after Alessandro Volta, also Italian scientist, showed that the "animal electricity" is not occurred only in animals. Volta observed same electric phenomenon from the device that made of totally non-biological materials - Voltaic cell (also known as Galvanic cell).
The Voltaic cell is electrochemical battery which makes electric current with spontaneous chemical reaction. It is composed of anode, cathode, electrolyte, separator, and outer circuit.
Anode in galvanic cell is the electrode where oxidation is occurred while reduction is occurred in cathode. The nomenclature of battery may be confusing because this definitions describe only during discharging.
Electrolyte is the medium that gives mobility to ions. Conventional electrolyte is liquid, so it can have high mobility and surface contact with electrodes.
As you can see in the picture above, the oxidation and reduction are occurred at the same time, but separated location. The today's battery also not far from this voltaic cell's structure.
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