The AA battery or Mignon battery is a single cell cylindrical dry battery which is commonly used in portable electronic devices. The batteries are usually composed of a single electrochemical cell that is either disposable or rechargeable. 25% of the battery is made with steel, 60% of it is made with some earth elements such as Zinc, Potassium, Manganese or Graphite and the remaining 15% is made up of paper and plastic.

Parts of a Battery

A battery is made up of some parts. These parts are Container, Cathode, Anode, Separator, Electrolyte, and, Collector.

  • A steel can which houses the battery cell’s ingredients to form the Cathode is called The Container.
  • A combination of Carbon(C) and Manganese Dioxide (MnO2) is known as Cathode. It is the negatively charged electrode. The Cathode attracts positive charge that is known as Cations.
  • Anodes are made with powered Zinc metal. It is the positively charged electrode. The Anode attracts anions or negatively charged electrons which are also known as Anions.
  • Separators are made with non-woven fibers such as cotton, polyesters, etc, and polymer films such as polypropylene and other substances such as rubber or asbestos. It is actually a permeable membrane that separates Cathode and Anode to prevent short circuits.
  • The chemical medium which allows the flow of electrical charge between Anode and Cathode is called Electrolyte. It is usually made with Potassium Hydroxide and water.
  • A collector is the brass pin in the middle of the cell. It conducts electricity to the outside circuit.