Is work done by a battery always equal to the thermal energy developed in electrical circuits? What happens if a capacitor is connected in the circuit?

Question

Philoid · Accepted Answer

In case of real battery, the battery also has some internal resistance and hence the work done is equal to the thermal energy developed due to both resistances in the circuit and the internal resistance of the battery. In case of a capacitor, the work done by the battery is stored as electrical energy in the capacitor and not thermal energy.