It is even suspected that the ancient Babylonians of the Middle East may have invented a crude battery before the birth of Christ. Since then, scientists like Benjamin Franklin, Alessandro Volta, and Michael Faraday have added greatly to our knowledge of electricity and batteries. A battery produces power through a type of chemical reaction is called a reduction-oxidation reaction. This type of reaction occurs in 2 parts. The first part to occur is oxidation.
Oxidation takes place at the bottom, or negative terminal of the battery.
This end is made up of a layer of metallic zinc. Zinc is an interesting metal because it has an abundance of electrons which it gives up easily. When the battery is plugged in, the zinc atoms split. The electrons leave the battery to power the flashlight, leaving behind the rest of the zinc atom. On the other end of the battery, the reduction reaction is occurring.