ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lithium ion polymer battery

A lithium ion polymer battery is like a special type of battery that can store and provide energy to different devices like cellphones, tablets, and laptops.

Imagine a battery like a box full of tiny little packets of energy. These packets are called ions and they can carry a special type of energy called lithium. Lithium is like a super powerful and lightweight fuel that can give a lot of energy to the things we use every day.

Now, the lithium ions in a lithium ion polymer battery are kept separate from each other by a thin and flexible sheet-like thing called a polymer. This polymer helps to keep the ions safe and prevents them from moving around freely.

When we use a device like a cellphone or tablet, we need it to have power. So, we connect our device to a lithium ion polymer battery. When we do this, the ions start moving from the battery to the device, kind of like a busy highway where the cars (ions) are moving to their destination (the device).

What's really cool is that these lithium ions can move back and forth between the battery and the device. This means that when the device is running low on power, we can charge it up by connecting it to a power source, like a wall socket. When we do this, the ions move back to the battery, kind of like the cars on the highway going back to their starting point.

But why are lithium ion polymer batteries so special? Well, they have some amazing qualities! Firstly, they are very lightweight, which means they don't make our devices heavy. They can also hold a lot of energy inside them, so our devices can last longer without needing another charge.

Another great quality is that they are flexible. This means that they can be made into different shapes and sizes, which is why we can find them in all sorts of devices, like smartphones, tablets, and even smartwatches. They can fit into these devices easily and make them work without taking up too much space.

Lastly, lithium ion polymer batteries are also safer compared to other types of batteries. Remember the polymer sheet that keeps the ions separate? This helps to prevent the battery from overheating or catching fire, which can be very dangerous.

So, next time you use your favorite device, remember that it's powered by a lithium ion polymer battery – this special battery that holds a lot of energy, can be charged up again, and keeps things working safely!