Where does the energy from a battery come from? When you use the battery to run a flashlight where does the energy go?
The energy in a battery comes from a chemical reaction that occurs within it. Batteries consist of two electrodes, typically made of different types of metals, immersed in an electrolyte solution. When a circuit is completed between the electrodes (for example, by connecting them to a device like a flashlight), a chemical reaction takes place in the battery.
During this reaction, the atoms or ions in the electrode materials undergo a rearrangement, resulting in a flow of electrons from one electrode to the other. Electrons are negatively charged particles that carry electrical energy. As a result, a current is generated, and this flow of electrons is what we refer to as electricity.
Now, when you use a battery to run a flashlight, the energy produced by this chemical reaction is converted into light energy and heat energy. Inside the flashlight, the electrical current flows through a filament or an LED (light-emitting diode), causing it to heat up and emit light.
This energy conversion occurs due to the principles of electromagnetism. The electrical energy from the battery powers the light-emitting component in the flashlight, which then emits light energy that illuminates the surroundings. Additionally, a small amount of heat is generated as a byproduct of this process.
Overall, the chemical energy stored in the battery is transformed into electrical energy, which is then converted into light energy and a small amount of heat energy when the battery is used to power a flashlight.