FIGURE 16-1 A typical polypropylene plastic battery case.

FIGURE 16-2 The grid provides support for the plate active material.

FIGURE 16-3 Current created at point B must travel to point A to be able to reach the battery terminals.

FIGURE 16-4 Radial design battery grids permit lower resistance for current flow by joining the branches of the grids.

FIGURE 16-5 Two groups are interlaced to form a battery element.

FIGURE 16-6 A cutaway battery showing the connection of the cells to each other through the partition.

FIGURE 16-7 Chemical reaction for a lead-acid battery that is fully charged being discharged by the attached electrical load.

FIGURE 16-8 Chemical reaction for a lead-acid battery that is fully discharged being charged by the attached generator.

FIGURE 16-9 As the battery becomes discharged, the specific gravity of the battery acid decreases.

FIGURE 16-10 Typical battery charge indicator FIGURE 16-10 Typical battery charge indicator. If the specific gravity is low (battery discharged), the ball drops away from the reflective prism. When the battery is charged enough, the ball floats and reflects the color of the ball (usually green) back up through the sight glass, and the sight glass is dark.

FIGURE 16-11 An absorbed glass mat battery is totally sealed and is more vibration resistant than conventional lead-acid batteries.

FIGURE 16-12 Battery that was accidentally left over the weekend on a battery charger that was set for a high charge rate. Note how the plates warped and the top blew off.

FIGURE 16-13 (a) A small spark inside the battery was the most likely cause of this battery explosion. Parts of the battery were thrown 30 ft (10 m); luckily, no one was around the vehicle at the time. (b) Because battery acid was spilled and sprayed around the battery ,the entire area was rinsed with water after unplugging the battery charger.