Inside of a AA battery is something called an electrolyte, which is a conductive substance that connects to the battery's anode and cathode, thus allowing current to flow through it. An electrolyte can be a paste, liquid, or gel.
In the past, the Walgreens brand of 6 volt lantern battery contained 32 carbon zinc AA cells, 8 sets of 4 in series, connected in parallel. Most all 6 volt lantern batteries today contain (4) 1.5...