Download File

8.1 – Electric Potential Energy and Voltage
_________________________ convert chemical energy to electrical energy. A _______
is another name for an electrochemical cell, or sometimes several cells joined together.
A battery allows us to store electrical energy in the form
of electrons in the chemicals that are inside the battery.
Chemical energy separates the positive and negative
charges so that the electrons are ready for our use when
we need electricity to run a device.
Electric Potential Energy
___________________ is the ability to do work.

Any moving object has _____________ energy.

__________________ energy is the energy stored in an object.
The energy stored in a battery is called _________________________________ energy,
since the electrons have the ability to do work once they leave the battery. In order for
the electrons to release their stored energy, the battery must be hooked up to a device.
Electric Potential Difference
Remember that charge is measured in _________________. A _________ (V) is defined
as the amount of electric potential energy per one coulomb of charge.
A __________________ is a device that measures the amount of potential difference, or
volts, between two locations of charge separation. If you hook a voltmeter up to a
battery, it is measuring the voltage between the + and – _______________ of the battery.
Producing Voltage
Batteries can be classified into two groups: _______ cells and ______ cells. Dry cells
are found in devices like flashlights. Wet cells are found in cars and motorcycles.
A battery has two terminals called __________________. The electrodes are usually
made of two different ______________, but can be made of other substances.
The electrodes are in an ____________________, which is a substance that is able to
conduct electricity. The chemical reaction that occurs in a battery causes electrons to
flow from one chemical to another. Those electrons can be made to flow through a wire,
so that they can be useful.
The amount of _______________ that is produced by an electrochemical cell depends on
the metals and electrolyte used. If many batteries are connected together, the voltage can
be increased. For example, a car battery might consist of six 2.0V cells joined together to
make a 12.0V battery.
There are other devices that are able to produce electricity, other than a battery.
For example (page 274):
 Friction (rubbing 2 objects together to produce a charge)
 Piezoelectric crystals (when crystals such as quartz are hit or squeezed, they
produce a burst of electricity – BBQ lighter)
 Photo-electrochemical cells (solar cells)
 Thermocouples (a loop of two wires made of different metals that produces
electricity when heated or cooled)
 Generators (consist of a magnet that is able to generate electricity when it is
moving next to a wire. The magnet may be moved using water (hydroelectric) or
steam from a nuclear plant.)
Assignment: Textbook pg. 275 #1-9, Section 8.1 in Booklet