While there would seem to be definite efficiency benefits of what is known as a Dry Cell when compared to that of a Wet Cell, it makes very little sense that this has anything whatsoever to do with current ‘leakage’.

I know that in this area of science and research, things often get said on a whim, without anything by way of substantiated proof, and then get picked upon by others and spread like the common cold. Eventually the original source is lost in the annals of time, and what was originally and idle, perhaps even thoughtless remark, can become accepted by many as a truth, a given, and indeed science fact, when in reality it is nothing of the sort.

Current leakage is one such thing that, if given some thought, makes no sense at all. It is said that Dry Cells are more efficient than Wet Cells, because they do not allow current to bypass the electrodes. But, think about it for a minute - this is never going to happen anyway.

Consider this. Two electrodes in a jar of water, a cathode and an anode. We apply a voltage of 12 volts across these electrodes and we get the cations in the water heading off to the cathode and the anions heading off towards the anode. Both only move because they are repelled from one electrode and attracted to the other electrode. No charged species is going to go off on a merry tour of the surroundings!

Now if we add a floating plate between the cathode and the anode, this floating plate will see a pd of 6 volts, and will be relatively more negative one side than the other side. Again the cations and anions within the water will be repelled by the like charged electrodes and attracted to the unlike charged electrodes. But, and here’s the thing, there is never any reason for the charge carriers to bypass electrodes. After all, why would they? They are being effectively pushed away from one electrode and pulled toward another. They will take the shortest route from one electrode to another. It makes no sense whatsoever that ionic current would circumnavigate around a charged electrode!

So if Dry Cells are indeed more efficient than Wet Cells, then there must be another explanation and perhaps this demands further investigation.