Abstract Based on the section “chemical power source” in the textbook Principles of Chemical Reactions, this paper explains why numerous spontaneous chemical reactions cannot be made into practical chemical power sources from the perspective of thermodynamics and kinetics. Comparing the electrode potential of zinc-manganese battery with the oxidation and reduction electrode potential of solvent water in alkaline solution, it is concluded that the positive electrode MnO2 of the battery is thermodynamically stable and the negative electrode Zn is kinetically stable, because H2 is difficult to precipitate on Zn. Both electrodes of lead-acid storage battery are kinetically stable, oxygen evolution on positive electrode PbO2 is difficult while hydrogen evolution on negative electrode Pb is difficult.
