(a) What is the difference between a battery and a fuel cell? (b) Can the "fuel" of a fuel cell be a solid?

Short Answer

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(a) The difference between a battery and a fuel cell is that a battery stores chemical energy in a closed system and has a limited energy capacity, while a fuel cell converts the chemical energy of a fuel and oxidant continuously supplied from an external source into electrical energy with a longer life cycle. (b) Yes, the fuel of a fuel cell can be a solid, such as in solid-oxide fuel cells, which utilize hydrocarbon-based solid materials as fuel. However, solid fuels are less common than gaseous fuels.

Step by step solution

01

Answering question (a) - Difference between a battery and a fuel cell

A battery and a fuel cell are both devices that store and convert energy into electrical power. However, they have some key differences which we will explain below: 1. A battery stores chemical energy in a closed system, whereas a fuel cell converts the chemical energy of a fuel (e.g., hydrogen, methane) and an oxidant (e.g., oxygen) continuously supplied from an external source into electrical energy. 2. Batteries have a limited energy capacity due to the stored chemical energy within their electrodes, while fuel cells can operate as long as fuel and oxidant are supplied. 3. A battery's performance degrades over time and requires periodic replacement, whereas fuel cells have a longer life cycle and less degradation.
02

Answering question (b) - Can the "fuel" of a fuel cell be solid?

Yes, the fuel of a fuel cell can be a solid. Typically, fuel cells utilize gaseous fuels like hydrogen or methanol. However, there are fuel cells, such as solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which can use solid fuels, like certain metal oxides. In an SOFC, the fuel is usually a hydrocarbon-based solid material which gets oxidized at high temperatures, producing the electrical power. To summarize, the fuel of a fuel cell can indeed be in a solid state, although it is less common than gaseous fuels.

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