Mercury Cell vs Dry Cell
Zinc is changed into zinc chloride in a dry cell during an electrochemical process, which makes the zinc porous. The permeable case allows a substance inside the cell to seep out, corroding the metal and shortening the cell’s lifespan. In contrast, no ions are present in the solution when the mercury cell undergoes its lifetime-altering events.
Other than that the key differences between Mercury cell and dry cell are listed in the following table:
Difference Between Mercury Cell and Dry Cell |
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Characteristic | Mercury Cell | Dry Cell (Zinc-Carbon/Alkaline) |
Chemical Reaction | Mercury and zinc amalgamation | Zinc and manganese dioxide |
Electrolyte | Potassium hydroxide | Ammonium chloride or zinc chloride |
Anode Material | Zinc | Zinc |
Cathode Material | Mercuric oxide | Manganese dioxide (Alkaline), Carbon (Zinc-Carbon) |
Voltage | 1.35 Volts | 1.5 Volts (Zinc-Carbon), 1.5 to 1.6 volts (Alkaline) |
Energy Density | Higher | Lower |
Environmental Impact | Contains toxic mercury | Less environmental impact, but still should be disposed of properly |
Common Usage | Button cells for small devices | General-purpose batteries for various applications |
Disposal | Requires proper hazardous waste disposal | Requires proper disposal due to environmental impact |
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Mercury Cell
Mercury Cell is a type of Primary Cell, which is non-rechargeable in nature, meaning it can only be used once before discarding it. The Mercury Cell is generally a small button-like structure and is mainly used in low-current devices such as watches, BIOS batteries on motherboards, and pacemakers. The Mercury cell has a potential of 1.35 Volts and is made by filling chemicals like mercury, mercuric oxide, carbon powder, zinc oxide, etc., into a steel container the size of a button.
In this article, we will learn about the mercury cell and its components and working of mercury cells and different types of mercury cells, and the advantages and applications of mercury cells.
Table of Content
- What is Mercury Cell?
- Construction of Mercury Cells
- Working Principle of Mercury Cell
- Different Types of Mercury Cell
- Mercury Cell Vs Dry Cell
- Applications of Mercury Cell