Lead-acid batteries are referred to as “Pb” batteries because “Pb” is the chemical symbol for lead on the periodic table. In a lead-acid battery, the major active components include lead dioxide (PbO2) as the positive plate, sponge lead (Pb) as the negative plate, and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as the electrolyte. The abbreviation “Pb” comes from the Latin word for lead, “plumbum,” which is why lead’s chemical symbol is “Pb”. This designation is used to differentiate lead-acid batteries from other types such as nickel-cadmium (NiCd) or lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.
