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About This Quiz
You can find batteries under the hood of your car, inside a TV remote -- even within hearing aids. Batteries were invented nearly two centuries ago, and they keep getting more sophisticated. But how well do you know what's at work inside these cans of chemicals?
At its most basic level, a battery is a can full of chemicals that produces ____.
protons
neutrons
electrons
The areas of a battery that are marked positive (+) and negative (-) are called:
reactors
terminals
poles
In which direction must electrons within a battery flow for a chemical reaction to take place?
positive to negative
negative to positive
either direction
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In 1800, Alessandro Volta made the first battery by layering plates of silver and zinc with blotting paper that had been soaked in salt water. What was this primitive battery called?
voltaic pile
voltube
Volta stack
Which of the following names is not used interchangeably with Daniel cell, the 17th-century battery commonly used in telegraphs and doorbells?
gravity cell
wet cell
charged cell
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What type of battery contains zinc and manganese-oxide electrodes with an alkaline electrolyte?
alkaline
lithium-ion
zinc-mercury oxide
Nickel-cadium batteries can malfunction when they're overcharged -- that is, recharged before they've had a chance to discharge more than 50 percent of their power. What's this common problem called?
charge maximization
memory effect
surplus condition
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