ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Sodium-ion battery

A sodium-ion battery is like a toy car that uses sodium instead of gas to move. In a battery, there are two parts called electrodes which are like the two ends of a battery. One end is made of a metal called sodium and the other end is made of a chemical called cathode. Just like how a car needs gas to move, a battery needs electric charges to flow between these two ends.

When we turn on a switch, electric charges start flowing in one direction from the sodium end to the cathode end, making the toy car move. When the toy car stops, it means that all the charges have moved from the sodium end to the cathode end.

But why use sodium instead of gas? Well, sodium is a metal that is available in large quantities and is inexpensive to produce. It is also more environmentally friendly to use sodium because it does not release harmful pollutants like gas does.

So, in summary, a sodium-ion battery is like a toy car that uses sodium instead of gas to move, and it is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly to use sodium in batteries.