A zinc–carbon battery (or carbon zinc battery in U.S. English) is the generic “heavy duty” disposable battery. It has been overtaken in recent times by the longer-lasting alkaline battery.
A zinc–carbon battery is a dry cell that provides direct electric current from the electrochemical reaction between zinc (Zn) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) in the presence of an ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) electrolyte. It produces a voltage of about 1.5 volts between the zinc anode, which is typically constructed as a cylindrical container for the battery cell, and a carbon rod surrounded by a compound with a higher Standard electrode potential (positive polarity), known as the cathode, that collects the current from the manganese dioxide electrode. The name "zinc–carbon" is slightly misleading as it implies that carbon is acting as the oxidizing agent rather than the manganese dioxide.
