eli5: Why does it take a long time to charge electronics? Why can’t there just be a surge of electricity sent to the battery to instantly recharge it?
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Batteries work by transferring electrons between two metals via an electrolyte. This is a chemical process that generates heat as the electrons flow between the materials. If the flow happens too quickly, the battery will catch fire.
When you charge a battery, you are pushing the electrons back from where they came, but heat is still generated. So if you charge a battery too quickly, you cause too much heat and the battery catches fire.
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