In a dry cell (battery), which of the following are used as electrolytes ?

Classic dry (Leclanché-derived) cells use a gel/paste electrolyte based on ammonium chloride; historical and educational descriptions explicitly state ammonium chloride as the conducting medium in the Leclanché/dry cell design [1]. Contemporary references and technical summaries also note zinc chloride (ZnCl2) as a common electrolyte component paired with manganese dioxide cathodes in zinc–carbon/dry cells, often listed as ZnCl2 in Leclanché-type systems [2]. Textbook descriptions further emphasize that a dry cell uses a thick moist paste (not a free liquid) as the electrolyte, consistent with NH4Cl/ZnCl2 mixtures formulated into a paste for portable cells [3]. Therefore option 1 (Ammonium chloride and Zinc chloride) is correct.

Sources

1. [1] https://edu.rsc.org/feature/battery-power/2020096.article
2. [2] https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA174577.pdf
3. [3] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: Electricity: Magnetic and Heating Effects > A step further > p. 57