Battery Puzzled, Something is wrong here.

[Romodoc]

Ok, this may be a very stupid question but I just can't find a right explanation.

I was reading about how a battery works (i.e. car or AA battery etc) and I found several videos giving the following explanation. (e-) are concentrated on one pole and a positively charged material is in the other pole with an insulation in between. Plug a light bulb and (e-) will rush from one pole to the other passing trough the spring, heating it up, photos are released etc etc, you get light! perfect. The explanation works here.

However, most electronics connect this batteries in series, and in this case, the basic explanation above doesn't make sense. If I have 3 batteries in series (A, B and C) in a device something like this:

device} [-/A/+] [-/B/+] [-/C/+] → {device

I can see how electrons go from C to A passing trough the device powering it. but how about electrons from A and B, how do they reach the device if there is an insulation.
Also according to this explanation, if put + of one battery next to - of another battery, it would drain one battery and leave the other with 2 negatively charged poles separated by the insulation in the middle. I know this is not the case, so I asume that explanation is a simplification of an obviously different process. Anyone could enlighten me?

 

[mfb]

There is no insulation, the batteries are connected with wires (or by a direct contact). If more electrons flow into the positive side of C, more electrons can leave the negative side of C.
There are more than enough electrons in the battery material ;).

 

[nsaspook]

There is a seperator (permeable membrane) in a some types of batteries to keep the plates from touching (shorting) and a electrolyte that conducts the ions that cross from one plate to the other and normally stop most electron flow. (that would cause self-discharge)

Lead Acid Battery: http://ecee.colorado.edu/~ecen4517/materials/Battery.pdf

 

[meBigGuy]

If you think about it, there is no difference between a single battery powering a load (current out = current in) and the middle battery in the stack you drew (current out = current in). The same internal chemical processes are at work in the battery to keep a "constant" voltage across the battery terminals. The battery doesn't know the difference between electrons from a load and electrons from another battery. Either way it has to conduct I and maintain a constant voltage.

A perfect voltage source has 0 ohms resistance since it maintains the same voltage regardless of current.

As for the internal details, I really liked the lead acid battery link from nsaspook.

 

[alphy]

Thank you for your question. It is not a stupid question at all, and it is important to have a clear understanding of how batteries work in order to use them effectively.

The explanation you have described is a simplified version of how batteries work. In reality, there are several factors at play that allow for the flow of electrons and the generation of electricity.

Firstly, it is important to understand that a battery is made up of two electrodes (the positively charged material and the negatively charged material) and an electrolyte (the material that allows for the flow of ions). In a single battery, the electrolyte is typically a liquid or gel substance. When multiple batteries are connected in series, the electrolyte is still present in each battery, but it is not visible as it is contained within the battery casing.

When a battery is connected in a circuit, the chemical reactions within the battery cause a flow of electrons from the negative electrode to the positive electrode. This creates a potential difference, or voltage, which can then be used as a source of electricity.

In your example of three batteries connected in series, the electrons from the negative electrode of battery C will flow through the circuit to the positive electrode of battery A, as you correctly noted. However, the electrons from the negative electrode of battery A will flow through the circuit to the positive electrode of battery B, and then continue on to the positive electrode of battery C. This flow of electrons creates a continuous circuit and allows for the flow of electricity.

The insulation between the batteries is not a barrier to the flow of electrons because the electrons are able to travel through the circuit, including the wires and other components, to reach the positive electrode of the next battery.

In regards to your question about placing the positive and negative poles of two batteries together, this would not drain one battery and leave the other with two negatively charged poles. This is because the batteries are designed to have a specific polarity, and the chemical reactions within the battery will continue to occur in the same direction regardless of how the batteries are connected.

I hope this explanation helps to clarify how batteries work when connected in series. It is important to keep in mind that this is a simplified explanation and there are many other factors at play in the functioning of a battery. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.