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Rechargeable batteries behave like ordinary batteries when they are being discharged. In other words, an electrical circuit is created when one material oxidizes, or gives up electrons, while another material immersed in an electrolyte becomes reduced, or gains electrons. The key to a rechargeable battery, however, is that it can reverse this flow of electrons when it is plugged into an electrical outlet. The material that oxidizes during discharge gains electrons, while the other material gives up electrons. For a much more detailed explanation of this process, we refer you to this article
in Scientific American. GreenBatteries.com, an excellent resource on all things rechargeable, notes that over 15 billion batteries are bought and sold each year. The majority of these are alkaline and are discarded after one use. Rechargeable nickel or lithium batteries have a generally higher capacity than alkaline batteries and are less expensive over the long run. Rechargeables are found in an array of gadgets: cordless power tools, cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, and two-way radios. They can be recharged up to 1,000 times, but eventually they will wear out. Fortunately, if a battery is rechargeable, it's also recyclable. The Rechargable Battery Recycling
Corporation, a non-profit organization, features a handy collection site locator.
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