Lesson 4. The Story of the Battery

Melissa Beemsterboer
Physics
30 minutes
High School Honors Physics
v1

Overview

In this lesson, students will learn about the history of the battery (through a reading) and then find out how batteries work. This lesson provides the foundation for understanding how a circuit works. They will first come to understand the importance of electric potential difference.

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards
  • Engineering, Technology, Applications of Science
  • Physical Science
  • NGSS Crosscutting Concept
    • Systems
    • Energy
  • NGSS Practice
    • Analyzing Data
    • Constructing Explanations, Designing Solutions
    • Using Models
    • Using Mathematics
    • Conducting Investigations
Computational Thinking in STEM
  • Data Practices
    • Analyzing Data
    • Collecting Data
    • Visualizing Data
  • Modeling and Simulation Practices
    • Assessing Computational Models
    • Constructing Computational Models
  • Computational Problem Solving Practices
    • Computer Programming
    • Troubleshooting and Debugging

Credits

History of battery video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/9OVtk6G2TnQ

Activities

  • 1. How does a Battery Work?
  • 2. How does a Battery Work? continued...
  • 3. How does a Battery Work? continued...
  • 4. How Does a Battery Work? continued...

Student Directions and Resources


In this lesson you'll do some writing, watching, and discussing to find out how batteries work. Afterwards you will watch a short video and answer some questions about the history of the battery.

1. How does a Battery Work?


Below is a picture of a battery. All batteries have a positive and a negative side.

Observe the picture below and answer the questions that follow.

 


Question 1.1

Draw a picture of an example atom/ion that you might find on the positive side of the battery.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


Question 1.2

Draw a picture of an atom/ion you might find on the negative side of the battery.

Note: Draw your sketch in the sketchpad below


Question 1.3

Why do you think batteries have a positive and a negative side?

2. How does a Battery Work? continued...


To answer the questions in the previous step, you must have drawn something like the picture below.


Question 2.1

As you can see, the negative side of the battery has an excess of anions (negatively changed ions with more electrons than protons). The positive side of the battery has an excess of cations (positively charged ions with fewer electrons than protons).

When there are two or more negatively charged ions near each other, what will happen?

  attract
  repel
  neither


3. How does a Battery Work? continued...


Watch this short video on how batteries work. Then answer the questions that follow.


Question 3.1

Many students believe that the discoveries of scientists throughout history built on each other to form the scientific views of the world we have today. Galvani believed that electricity was "stored in the very stuff of life" and just by having been living at one point, you could generate electricity.

Volta was the next scientist to come along. Did he take what Galvani said and run with it to take it further, or did he disagree completely?

  Volta agreed with Galvani and built on his theory
  Volta disagreed with Galvani and went a different direction.


Question 3.2

What does your answer to the last question say about the process of uncovering truths in science?



Question 3.3

Why do you think it's important to have a metal that wants to accept electrons and a metal that wants to give electrons in a battery?



Question 3.4

Let's say you have a simple circuit with a battery, two wires, and a light bulb like the one below.

The light bulb will turn on when electrons flow past its filament. Why would gathering negative ions to one side of the battery encourage electrons to flow into the wire?

4. How Does a Battery Work? continued...


The diagrams below show how electrons move in a circuit. Copy these diagrams into your notebook.