-
by Idell Bryan -
Topics:
"Energy to Spare" is a seven-minute film that uses exploding batteries, bowling showdowns, and electrifying animations to give a primer on how batteries work and explores how scientists are revolutionizing battery technology for the renewable energy age. UCLA scientist Maher El-Kady describes work on one promising solution: zinc-ion batteries.
"When I see how my research actually can impact people's lives, that makes me very satisfied. In batteries, there is always some type of chemical reactions that are happening. It's the chemists that can actually understand that and perfect those reactions, developing new materials that can make a better battery for the future."
— Dr. Maher El-Kady
“Energy to Spare” is targeted towards high school and college students and can be used as a starting point for discussions around battery function and composition, sustainable chemistry, renewable energy, electricity, and more. An accompanying lesson plan is available for teachers free via chemistryshorts.org.
The film is freely available for viewing online. View the video below or at chemistryshorts.org.
The Chemistry Shorts film series is funded by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and is endorsed by American Association of Chemistry Teachers, American Chemical Society, and AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers.