Thread: Battery strength

I'm curious. A car or flashlight battery runs down. The car engine won't turn over or the flashlight doesn't come on, etc.

What is happening when we leave the battery for a few hours and the battery then has a new surge of power? What's the physics involved that is recharging the battery from a seemingly dead state to a strong but very short last 'hurrah'? In the car, for example. the alternator isn't running so how is an almost dead battery 'alive' for a few seconds before it dies again?

thanks

THe easiest way to explain this is the bucket and sponge analogy, so a sponge occupies 50% (one side) of the bucket, fill the bucket with water - tip it out, after a while some of the water in the sponge will seep out into the empty side of the bucket.

I think the answer you will find (and correct me if im wrong and call me an idiot) but bubbles appear on the electrice diodes (if thats where they are called - somehting "ode" anyway) - So yeah, bubbles appear on them and there is then less contact between the metal and the solution, leave it for a short while and some of these bubbles might "pop" and you'll get some contact again.

I can get more power out of a battery by shaking it.