Energy conversion basics — does a battery convert chemical energy into electrical energy (acting as a power supply)?

Introduction / Context:
Batteries are ubiquitous sources of portable power in electronics. This item checks your understanding of what kind of energy conversion a battery performs and why it qualifies as a type of power supply for circuits ranging from sensors to smartphones.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A battery consists of one or more electrochemical cells.
• Electrochemical reactions at the electrodes produce an electromotive force (emf).
• Loads draw current driven by the potential difference between terminals.

Concept / Approach:
A battery converts chemical potential energy to electrical energy via redox reactions. The cell chemistry (e.g., lithium-ion, lead–acid, NiMH) determines nominal voltage, capacity, and internal resistance. As current flows, chemical reactants are consumed and products form, providing charge carriers at the electrodes and maintaining terminal voltage until reactants are depleted or the cell is recharged (for rechargeable chemistries).

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Measure open-circuit voltage and loaded voltage with a multimeter; observe reduced terminal voltage under load due to internal resistance while chemical reactions sustain current.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Saying “False” would deny the fundamental electrochemical operation that defines a battery. Mechanical or thermal sources do not describe battery operation.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) cells; both convert chemical energy to electrical during discharge, but the recharge process reverses reactions only in secondary cells.

Final Answer:
True