Battery Basics

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PLATES
Battery plates are constructed of a lead alloy containing a percentage of either Antimony or Calcium. The plates are designed as a thin flat grid, grids crossing at right angles (shown below) or grids crossing diagonally at different angles which reduces internal resistance. The grid provides the necessary framework for active material to be pasted onto the plate, making either a positive or a negative plate. The active material on a charged positive plate is a reddish-brown Lead Dioxide (PBO2), while the active material on a charged negative plate is a grayish Sponge Lead (PB).