discharge: 1. The conversion of thechemical energy stored in a secondarycell into electrical energy.2. The release of electric charge froma capacitor in an external circuit.3. The passage of charge carriersthrough a gas at low pressure in adischarge tube. A potential differenceapplied between cathode and anodecreates an electric field that acceleratesany free electrons and ions totheir appropriate electrodes. Collisionsbetween electrons and gas moleculescreate more ions. Collisionsalso produce excited ions and molecules, which decaywith emission of light in certainparts of the tube.
