This buildup is what creates the negative terminal, while the cathode develops a positive charge from its resulting lack of electrons. This potential for power just sits there, waiting.

If you connect the positive lead of the DVOM to the positive battery terminal, and the negative lead to the negative battery terminal, the DVOM should display the battery voltage, around 12.6V.

Prime Here’s the correct order of removing and replacing battery terminals Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - 3 min read ...

The positive and negative terminals are foundational to how a battery works, but the terminals don't necessarily need to be opposite of each other.