🔍 Key Concepts

• Chemistry of lead-acid batteries during charge vs. discharge • How electrolyte (sulfuric acid and water) concentration changes with use • Which gases are typically produced and under what condition (charging vs discharging)

💭 Think About

• Think about what happens to the sulfuric acid concentration as the battery delivers current over time: does the electrolyte get more or less acidic? • Consider which gases, if any, are normally produced during charging and whether that same process occurs during normal discharge. • Look at the chemical makeup of the plates in a lead-acid battery and ask: do they realistically become a compound like ammonium chloride?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on the difference between charging and discharging effects on the electrolyte. • Verify whether hydrogen gas is more associated with overcharging or with normal discharge. • Confirm whether ammonium chloride has any role at all in a standard lead-acid battery’s chemistry.