• We need your support!

    We are currently struggling to cover the operational costs of Xtremepapers, as a result we might have to shut this website down. Please donate if we have helped you and help make a difference in other students' lives!
    Click here to Donate Now (View Announcement)

Hi, So I have this doubt on how cells work when connected in series.

Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Basically, the electrons produced at the negative terminal moves through the circuit to reach the positive terminal. But when, two or more cells are connected in series, how do the cells contribute their electrons into the circuit? for example, the 2nd cell sandwiched between the 1st and 3rd cell, how does its electrons reach the circuit wire?
 

PlanetMaster

XPRS Administrator
Messages
1,177
Reaction score
2,102
Points
273
Hi Rachel,

Welcome to XtremePapers (aka XPRS)!

Electrons are negatively charged, and so are attracted to the positive end of a battery and repelled by the negative end. So when the battery is hooked up to something that lets the electrons flow through it, they flow from negative to positive.

Electrons can only travel inside the battery via charged chemicals, ions, which can dissolve off the electrodes. The chemical reaction is what pushes the electrons inside toward the negative end, because the electrodes at the two ends are made of different materials, which have different chemical stabilities. So overall, electrons flow AROUND the circuit, toward the negative end inside the battery, pushed by the chemical reaction, and toward the positive end in the outside circuit, pushed by the electrical voltage.

When you have a multi-battery system, electrons still flow from the negative terminal, through the load to the positive terminal regardless of the number of batteries. The number of batteries simply increase the electromotive force (Voltage). In this case the current flow is from the base of the first battery through the load to the positive terminal of the first battery to the base of the first battery to the positive terminal of the second battery to the base.

With two or more batteries in series you could consider all the batteries as one unit and the electron flow is as described above.

P.S. You don't need to know most of the information above for your GCSEs. Its just FYI..
 

badrobot14

XPRS Administrator
Messages
3,366
Reaction score
34,689
Points
523
Welcome to XtremePapers (aka XPRS)!
aka XP :p

Basically, the electrons produced at the negative terminal moves through the circuit to reach the positive terminal. But when, two or more cells are connected in series, how do the cells contribute their electrons into the circuit? for example, the 2nd cell sandwiched between the 1st and 3rd cell, how does its electrons reach the circuit wire?

yes, that is what the electron does, BUT what does the battery do? the battery is creating a potential difference which enables the electron to flow from negative to positive.
When you Add up batteries together in series (the way u describe is called series), they end up creating potential difference over the potential difference of the previous battery, i.e. the negative becomes more negative and positive becomes more positive.

series battery.PNG

when electrons from negative side move through circuit and reach the positive side, some are consumed by the battery at positive end, those it cant consume are passed to the next battery, and same way the next does it. So we end up with added potential difference of 6V in this diagram from the four 1.5V batteries connected in series.

P.S. here's something cool:
 
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Points
3
Hi Rachel,

Welcome to XtremePapers (aka XPRS)!

Electrons are negatively charged, and so are attracted to the positive end of a battery and repelled by the negative end. So when the battery is hooked up to something that lets the electrons flow through it, they flow from negative to positive.

Electrons can only travel inside the battery via charged chemicals, ions, which can dissolve off the electrodes. The chemical reaction is what pushes the electrons inside toward the negative end, because the electrodes at the two ends are made of different materials, which have different chemical stabilities. So overall, electrons flow AROUND the circuit, toward the negative end inside the battery, pushed by the chemical reaction, and toward the positive end in the outside circuit, pushed by the electrical voltage.

When you have a multi-battery system, electrons still flow from the negative terminal, through the load to the positive terminal regardless of the number of batteries. The number of batteries simply increase the electromotive force (Voltage). In this case the current flow is from the base of the first battery through the load to the positive terminal of the first battery to the base of the first battery to the positive terminal of the second battery to the base.

With two or more batteries in series you could consider all the batteries as one unit and the electron flow is as described above.

P.S. You don't need to know most of the information above for your GCSEs. Its just FYI..
That's cool! Thanks a lot
 
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Points
3
aka XP :p



yes, that is what the electron does, BUT what does the battery do? the battery is creating a potential difference which enables the electron to flow from negative to positive.
When you Add up batteries together in series (the way u describe is called series), they end up creating potential difference over the potential difference of the previous battery, i.e. the negative becomes more negative and positive becomes more positive.

View attachment 64843

when electrons from negative side move through circuit and reach the positive side, some are consumed by the battery at positive end, those it cant consume are passed to the next battery, and same way the next does it. So we end up with added potential difference of 6V in this diagram from the four 1.5V batteries connected in series.

P.S. here's something cool:

That clarifies! thank you.
 
Top