Inside a battery there are two pieces of metal in a liquid or a paste. The metal parts are called electrodes. The liquid or paste, called an electrolyte, is a mix of chemicals. Each electrode has a point, called a terminal, that sticks out of the battery.
Interactive
For a battery to work, the terminals must be linked by an outside wire. Then the chemicals in the electrolyte cause electrons to flow from one electrode to the other. (Electrons are parts of atoms, the tiny bits of matter that make up the universe.) A flow of electrons is an electric current. The electric current flowing through the wire is what makes flashlights and other electric equipment work.
