Batteries, Batteries, Batteries!

Name: Batteries, Batteries, Batteries!
Rating: 4.4 (563 reviews)

Fun and useful facts about batteries!

Created byFernando Gómez-Baquero

Last updated 4/2017

English

What you'll learn

Know the history of batteries.
Know some fun facts about energy storage.
Learn details about lithium ion batteries.
Learn the basics of how batteries work.

Course content

6 sections • 22 lectures • 2h 22m total length

Introduction1:37
This is the introduction to the class, a welcome, and a quick overview of what you will learn.
Fun Fact #1: Do discharged batteries bounce?2:16
Can you know if a battery is charged by bouncing to off a table? Click this video to find out.

Why do we care about batteries?10:01
Why are batteries important? Why should we care? This video will give you an overview of the challenges we face with battery technologies.
Very brief history of batteries15:32
Did you know batteries have been around for more than a thousand years?
Fun Fact #2: Why don't we have more electric cars?5:11
In the 1900s a large number of cars produced were electric. Today, not so much. Why?

Electrons and ions3:57
Start by learning what ions and electrons are and why they re important in batteries.
What is electrical current?5:09
This video explains what electrical current is.
What is voltage?4:58
This video explains what voltage is.
Energy density and power density10:28
The two most used metrics in batteries are energy and power density. This video teaches what they are and how to derive them.
Fun fact #3: how to extend the lifetime of your batteries4:24
Don't let your batteries die prematurely! Use these tricks to make them last longer.

How do batteries work?5:34
Basic description of how a battery works.
Types of batteries7:26
Distinguish the different types of batteries and the materials that are in them.
Applications of batteries11:55
Are batteries only used in electronic devices? No, they are used almost everywhere!
Fun fact #4: Why is lithium used in batteries?4:50
Why do we like lithium so much for batteries? Why not other materials?
Quiz

Cathode materials12:52
Learn about the different materials that can be used to make battery cathodes.
Anode materials9:00
Learn about the different materials that can be used to make battery anodes.
Electrolytes5:34
Learn about electrolytes that are used in lithium ion batteries.
Separators2:47
Learn about electrolytes that are used in lithium ion batteries.
Fun fact #5: Why batteries explode5:42
Why batteries explode and how you can prevent it.

Requirements

No prior knowledge needed, just curiosity for how batteries work.
Take a look at some batteries that are around your house. Do you know how they work?

Description

Have you ever wondered why batteries explode? How why we don't have more electric vehicles? Or just wanted to know how batteries produce electricity? This class will teach you fun and useful facts about batteries that you can use to impress friends and family. If you want to know more, it will also give you a simple but comprehensive overview of how batteries work.

At the end of this class you will be able to:

Understand the basic principles of how batteries work.
Be able to understand important concepts in batteries such as current, voltage, and energy density.
Describe different types of batteries and their applications.
Understand what lithium batteries are and how they differ between them.
Know some fun facts and resources to expand your knowledge on batteries.

The class is composed mostly of lectures and videos where I explain interesting facts about battery technologies. The course is designed so that with each section you go deeper and deeper into knowledge. If you are new to the battery world you will start from the very basics. If you have some advanced knowledge of chemistry you can skip some of the initial lectures and go into more advanced sections.

Join the class and improve your knowledge on the technology that powers our world. No previous knowledge required!

Who this course is for:

Students that are curious about how their phones and devices are being powered.
Engineers that want facts about batteries.
People with a general background in chemistry or engineering.

Batteries, Batteries, Batteries!

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction2 lectures • 4min

Background3 lectures • 31min

The Basics5 lectures • 29min

Batteries in General4 lectures • 30min

Lithium Ion Batteries5 lectures • 36min

Wrapping up3 lectures • 13min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: