What happens during the discharge of a lead storage battery?

Step-by-step solution

During the discharge of a lead storage battery, the following reactions take place: At anode: Pb (s) + SO ₄²⁻(aq) PbSO ₄(s) + 2e^- At cathode: PbO ₂(s) + SO ₄²⁻(aq) + 4 H ^+(aq) + 2e^- PbSO ₄(s) + 2 H ₂ O (l) Overall reaction: Pb (s) + PbO ₂(s) + 2 H ₂ SO ₄(aq) 2 PbSO ₄(s) + 2 H ₂ O (l) From the overall cell reaction, it is clear that sulphuric acid ( H ₂ SO ₄ ) is consumed during the discharge process. Answer: H ₂ SO ₄ is consumed