A chemical cell is defined as...

A chemical cell is defined as...

• A. A device that stores magnetic energy
• B. Converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Most batteries are chemical cells.
• C. Generates thermal energy from chemical reactions
• D. Provides mechanical energy through chemical expansion

Answer: (B)

A chemical cell is a device that stores chemical energy and converts it into electrical energy through redox reactions between electrodes in an electrolyte. In operation, one electrode undergoes oxidation (loses electrons) and the other undergoes reduction (gains electrons); the electrons flow through an external circuit, delivering electrical energy, while ions move through the electrolyte to balance charge. The energy comes from chemical bonds in the reactants, and as the reaction proceeds, that chemical energy is released as electricity. Most batteries are chemical cells because they rely on these chemical reactions to produce an electric current. The other descriptions describe energy transfers that aren’t about producing electrical energy from chemical reactions: magnetic energy storage, thermal energy generation from reactions, or mechanical energy produced by chemical expansion.

A chemical cell is a device that stores chemical energy and converts it into electrical energy through redox reactions between electrodes in an electrolyte. In operation, one electrode undergoes oxidation (loses electrons) and the other undergoes reduction (gains electrons); the electrons flow through an external circuit, delivering electrical energy, while ions move through the electrolyte to balance charge. The energy comes from chemical bonds in the reactants, and as the reaction proceeds, that chemical energy is released as electricity. Most batteries are chemical cells because they rely on these chemical reactions to produce an electric current.

The other descriptions describe energy transfers that aren’t about producing electrical energy from chemical reactions: magnetic energy storage, thermal energy generation from reactions, or mechanical energy produced by chemical expansion.