Inside the battery are a cathode and an anode. One end is marked with a ‘+’ or positive, while the other is marked with a ‘-‘ or negative.
Take a look at any battery, and you’ll notice that it the ends are slightly different. Next time you change the batteries of your remote control, try it! Anatomy of a Battery When the used battery is dropped the solid internal structure can’t absorb the impact but instead creates a recoil, or bounce. The unused batteries gel like substance can absorb kinetic energy, so when dropped, the gel absorbs the impact and doesn’t bounce. And when the battery is used the gel turns into a solid. The anode of an alkaline battery consists of a gel-like substance. This is because the physical properties of the electrodes change when you use a battery. But when the battery is new it lands flat on its bottom with almost no bounce.
An alkaline AA battery bounces quite high after being dropped on its end when it is empty.
