Physic ( Battery work ? )

Question

Dear teacher .

I have a question :

A battery has a negative end ( I dont know if end is a right word ? ) and a positive end .

From what i have heard that there was difference in amount of electrons between negative end and positive end , but battery is unlike ordinary object , electrons won't run from negative end to positive end ( chemical reason I Have heard ).

 

But what if I connect the negative end to neutral object , but leave the positive end untouch ( not connected ). Will the electron from negative end run into neutral object to equalize the amount of spare electrons ???? 

 

Hope you won't mind my bad English . Thanks 

 

 

 

Answer 1

I agree with Marshall O's response(s), but I also wanted to bring your attention to something else that I think you may be confusing.

 

An electrical circuit involves moving charges between two points of differing electrical potential (voltage). The voltage difference is what "pushes" the current flow through the circuit [Just like height differences (gravitational potential) and spring extension/compression (spring potential) drive other types of motion]. There does not have to be any charge imbalance present to move the electrons. Batteries, wires, resistors, etc are all electrically neutral--there is no excess charge within any of those objects.

 

Your idea of "equalizing the amount of spare electrons" when you touch down a single battery terminal doesn't happen simply because there are no spare electrons to equalize. Static electricity does not drive electrical currents

 

The chemicals inside a battery are designed to keep the two ends at different electrochemical potentials without disturbing the battery's overall electric charge.

Answer 2

The simple answer is no. To explain, electrons that can move do so when there is a difference in the electrical potential energy. A simple analogy is that a ball rolls downhill because the bottom of the hill has a lower gravitational potential energy compared to the top of the hill. If you connect one end of the battery (negative or positive, it does not matter which) to an electrically neutral object (I assume a metallic object), then the object has the same electrical potential energy as the battery connection. Since there is no difference in electrical potential energy, the electrons do not "move". You will see people say electrical current does not flow more often than saying electrons do not move, but the idea is the same. The two phrases use different words to express the same idea.

Answer 3

Yes.