The liquid in the cells, or in the moistened paper, is called the electrolyte and the plates or discs are called electrodes. To define them more clearly, the positive plate is the anode, and the negative plate the cathode.
The current, upon entering the zinc plate, decomposes the water in the electrolyte, thereby forming oxygen. The hydrogen in the water, which has also been formed by the decomposition, is carried to the copper plate, so that the plate finally is so coated with hydrogen that it is difficult for the current to pass through. This condition is called "polarization," and to prevent it has been the aim of all inventors. To it also we may attribute the great variety of primary batteries, each having some distinctive claim of merit.
The Common Primary Cell.—The most common form of primary cell contains sulphuric acid, or a sulphuric acid solution, as the electrolyte, with zinc for the anode, and carbon, instead of copper, for the cathode.
The ends of the zinc and copper plates are called terminals, and while the zinc is the anode or positive element, its terminal is designated as the positive pole. In like manner, the carbon is[p. 36] the negative element or cathode, and its terminal is designated as negative pole.
Fig. 21 will show the relative arrangement of the parts. It is customary to term that end or element from which the current flows as positive. A cell is regarded as a whole, and as the current passes out of the cell from the copper element, the copper terminal becomes positive.
Battery Resistance, Electrolyte and Current.—The following should be carefully memorized:
A cell has reference to a single vessel. When two or more cells are coupled together they form a battery