Battery polarity question

[Ghoste]

Is battery polarity determined as part of the inherent design?  That is to say, has it been "manufactured in" before the initial charge by the very construction and engineering or could it be altered?  If it can be altered, is it possible for one to change polarity after that initial charge and what would be the conditions that would create that?  (if possible)

[BLK 68 R/T]

Found this on the net. It sounds like the answer to your question is, no.

An electrode can be either anode or a cathode. The electrode at which current leaves the cell and where oxidation takes place is called anode. It is also called positive electrode. On the other hand, electrode at which current enters the cell and reduction takes place is called cathode. It is also called negative electrode. This holds true in most electric devices but in electric batteries, it is anode that becomes negative and the cathode, positive. There are even bipolar electrodes that can function as both anodes and cathodes.

A simple battery consists of three major parts which are anode, cathode and an electrolyte. Traditionally, the electrodes are at ends of the battery. When these ends are connected with electricity, a chemical reaction is started inside the battery. Electrons get disturbed and have to reorganize. They repel each other and move towards cathode which has less electrons. This balances electrons throughout the solution called electrolyte.

In general current flows out of cathode when the device is discharging but the direction of current is reversed when the device is being charged and the cathode starts to function as an anode while the anode becomes a cathode.

Cathodes and anodes are found in any device that is used for drawing electric current. It can be said that the words anode and cathode are used for identifying the polarity of the device when it is used.

In a primary cell or a battery, the terminals are non reversible which means that a cathode will always be negative. This is because the device is always used to discharge electric current. But in case of secondary cells or batteries, the electrodes are reversible as the device discharges, but also receive current for charging.