Eli5 What is the difference between regular aa batteries and the rechargeable ones? Why can’t the disposable ones also be charged

Question

One would imagine they are identical but this is obviously not the case.

In: 6

Answer 1

It depends on the reversibility of what happens inside the battery. As an analogy, if you boil water into steam, and you catch the steam and let it cool, it will turn back into water. But if you boil a raw egg into a cooked egg, nothing can turn it back into a raw egg. Rechargeable batteries are more expensive to make, so they also make cheaper single use ones.