Video Transcript
Many chemical reactions are used to
provide energy in the form of heat. However, what type of useful energy
do the chemical reactions inside batteries provide?
Many chemical reactions release
heat, such as when methane burns in oxygen. This reaction provides so much heat
that it is often used to heat homes. Heat is released as a result of
changes to chemical potential energy during the course of the reaction. This chemical energy is due to
electrostatic attractions between atoms in molecules.
In any process, energy is never
created or destroyed. It’s only transferred or converted
into another form. This is called the law of
conservation of energy. Essentially, in this reaction, the
chemical energy is converted into thermal energy, which is observed as a release of
heat. During a chemical reaction, the
change in chemical energy can be transferred into other forms of energy as well.
This question is asking us about
the energy that is provided by batteries. Chemical reactions occur inside all
batteries. For example, inside a single-use
battery, there’s a chemical reaction between zinc and manganese dioxide.
If we connect the battery to some
kind of device, like a remote or a lightbulb, the battery can be used to power
it. This is because the chemical energy
from the reaction between zinc and magnesium dioxide has been converted into
electrical energy. This occurs by using electrons that
are produced during the chemical reaction.
So, the type of useful energy the
chemical reactions inside batteries provide is electricity.
