[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by gruundehn

Present-day chemical batteries can be thought of as having their own internal circuit - sort of, in a simplistic way. The electrons are stored, but the chemical action of the battery releases them at two levels. The low-level release rate is when there is no external circuit and thus the battery charge can last years, if not decades. If there is an external circuit, the battery releases a steady stream of electrons and the total circuit resistance opposes that release; thus, by Ohm's Law (E=IR or more accurately I=E/R) voltage happens. Any EMF generated is a byproduct of the fact that the battery is releasing electrons.

Are you seriously trying to assert that batteries generate fixed current regardless of the circuit they're in? You have to know that's completely inaccurate. EDIT: That's blatant violation of conservation of energy stuff.