How does a lead-acid battery work ?
Lead-acid batteries work on the principle of converting chemical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. They consist of an electrolyte, plates, and separators. During charging, an external power source applies a voltage higher than the open-circuit voltage of the battery, causing lead sulfate on the positive plate to be converted back into lead dioxide and on the negative plate into metallic lead. During discharging, when a load is connected to the battery, lead dioxide on the positive plate is reduced to lead sulfate, and metallic lead on the negative plate is oxidized to lead sulfate. The electrons flow from the negative terminal of the battery to the load during discharging and from the positive terminal of the external power source to the positive plate of the battery during charging.