What happens to lead acid’s electrolyte’s specific gravity while charging?

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ALP CBT 2 Electrician Previous Paper: Held on 23 Jan 2019 Shift 2
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  1. It increases
  2. It remains the same
  3. It evaporates
  4. It decreases

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 1 : It increases
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  • The electrolyte in a lead-acid cell is dilute sulphuric acid (H2SO4) solution mixed in such a proportion so that with a fully charged battery, its specific gravity is about 1.28
  • Dilute sulphuric acid is used as electrolyte by adding Sulphuric acid to water
  • Spongy lead is used for negative plate
  • Lead peroxide paste is used for positive plates
  • It has low internal resistance
  • It requires more charging time
  • Gases are evolved during charging
  • During the normal life of a battery that is properly cared for, the electrolyte loses none of the acids
  • During the charging process, the specific gravity of the electrolyte (H2SO4) increases and provides an important indication to the state of charge of the cell
  • The specific gravity of the electrolyte of a fully charged lead-acid cell is about 1.28; This can be measured by means of a hydrometer

 

In practice, the state of charge of a lead-acid cell (or battery) is determined from the specific gravity of the electrolyte. The following table is useful in this regard.

The specific gravity of H2SO4

State of charge

1.13

Discharged

1.19

25% charged

1.22

50% charged

1.25

75% charged

1.28

100% charged

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