why cant we store electricity indefinitely in batteries?
In: Chemistry
Batteries work by storing electrons between an electrolyte layer. That layer prevents the cathode from making contact with the anode, which would result in a short circuit. When a load is introduced to the battery, it pulls electrons from one side to the other, creating an electric current through the attached device.
What causes batteries to lose charge overtime is that the electrolyte is not perfect. Electrons will still slip past it and move to the anode layer, which means the batteries capacity is lowered.
When batteries are connected to electronics, they could also be powering part of the device, even if it’s turned off. IE: In phones, the battery will keep the real-time clock powered on, and possibly other components, while it’s turned off.
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