2006-12-06 11:26:04 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Environment
They both provide a DC current to an external circuit. But, in a battery, the electromotive force (voltage) is provided by a chemical reaction (actually, a pait of chemical reactions ☺) while in a photocell, the EMF is provided by electrons being dislodged from the crystal lattice by the action of photons (the 'photoelectric' or 'photovoltaic' effect)
Doug
2006-12-06 11:32:03 · answer #1 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are two different things. The only thing they have in common is electricity.
A solar cell is an electricity generator in much the same way as a dynamo or any other generating device. It can make electricity but it must go somewhere to be used or stored or it is wasted.
A battery is a storage device. It can provide electricity from storage but as it does so it looses it's charge and runs down. It must then be recharged.
Batteries are what makes solar cells readily usable as they collect and store the power supplied by the cells to be used as required. As the power is used from the battery it can be topped up again from the solar cell.
2006-12-07 11:15:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Solar cells emit tiny amounts of electricity just like batteries. Likewise fuel cells. Currently solar cells take up too much space and depend on direct, bright sunshine too much. Fine for low energy uses such as hand calculators...
2006-12-06 19:30:51 · answer #3 · answered by acct10132002 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋