E-Rate - Discharge or charge power, in watts, expressed as a multiple of the rated capacity of a cell or battery which is expressed in watt-hours. For example, the E/10 rate for a cell or battery rated at 17.3 watt-hours is 1.73 watts. (This is similar to the method for calculating C-Rate.)
Load (linear) - Load for which voltage form and current form are similar. Voltage and current are related by Ohm's law U(t) = Z x I(t).
Cell - The basic electrochemical unit used to generate or store electrical energy.
Temperature Cutoff (TCO) - A protective or safety device (e.g., thermostat, PTC, etc.) which senses temperature (e.g., in a battery) and opens or cuts off the electrical circuit if the specified temperature is exceeded, thus preventing a further rise in temperature due to the charge or discharge of a battery.
Desorption - The opposite of absorption, whereby the material retained by a medium or another material is released.
Cathode - The electrode in an electrochemical cell where reduction takes place. During discharge, the positive electrode of the cell is the cathode. During charge in a rechargeable battery, the negative electrode is the cathode.
Duty Cycle - The operating regime of a battery including factors such as charge and discharge rates, depth of discharge, cycle duration, and length of time in the standby mode.
