what is lithium used for in batteries

Lithium is used in batteries due to its high energy density and low weight. Lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in portable electronics and electric vehicles, have four key components: an anode, cathode, separator, and electrolyte. The anode and cathode store the lithium, and the electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and vice versa through the separator. The movement of the lithium ions creates free electrons in the anode which creates a charge at the positive current collector. When the battery is discharging and providing an electric current, the anode releases lithium ions to the cathode, generating a flow of electrons from one side to the other. When plugging in the device, the opposite happens: Lithium ions are released by the cathode and received by the anode. Lithium batteries are used in a multitude of applications from consumer electronics to electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems.