Can ATP be Compared to a Capacitor in Terms of Energy Storage?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stanley514
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Capacitor
AI Thread Summary
ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is often compared to capacitors due to its ability to store energy, but it functions more like a battery. While ATP contains oxygen atoms that carry negative charges, the molecule as a whole does not have a net charge in its standard state. This is because the negative charges are stabilized by protons in an aqueous environment, preventing issues like dielectric breakdown and self-discharge that affect capacitors. The energy in ATP is stored in the chemical bonds between its atoms rather than through charge separation. The discussion raises questions about the potential for creating capacitors that mimic ATP's energy storage capabilities, highlighting the unique properties of ATP that differentiate it from traditional capacitors.
Stanley514
Messages
404
Reaction score
2
I`ve read that ATP stores lot of energy because it have three oxygen atoms, each one with spare electron.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate"
1)So it seems very similar to capacitor to me.How it happens that ATP do not experience the similar problems to capacitor such as dielectric breakdown and self discharge?If human body contains huge amount of ATP molecules it should have giant negative charge.So why we do not make lightnings to the ground?
2)Is it possible to make a capacitor which whould work similar to ATP and store huge amount of energy?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Chemistry news on Phys.org
ATP is much more like a battery than a capacitor. It has no net charge in its standard state.
 
ATP is much more like a battery than a capacitor. It has no net charge in its standard state.
How then you explain this picture:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ATP_structure.svg"
There is four oxygen atoms which have negative charge on the picture O- O- O- O-
How is it possible that entire molecule has no negative charge?Could you explain it in detail?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Those negative charges are solvated by protons in an aqueous environment, which stabilize the molecule. The energy is stored in the bonds between oxygen, not in charge separation (per se).
 
It seems like a simple enough question: what is the solubility of epsom salt in water at 20°C? A graph or table showing how it varies with temperature would be a bonus. But upon searching the internet I have been unable to determine this with confidence. Wikipedia gives the value of 113g/100ml. But other sources disagree and I can't find a definitive source for the information. I even asked chatgpt but it couldn't be sure either. I thought, naively, that this would be easy to look up without...
I was introduced to the Octet Rule recently and make me wonder, why does 8 valence electrons or a full p orbital always make an element inert? What is so special with a full p orbital? Like take Calcium for an example, its outer orbital is filled but its only the s orbital thats filled so its still reactive not so much as the Alkaline metals but still pretty reactive. Can someone explain it to me? Thanks!!
Back
Top