Everything You Need to Know About Batteries
Batteries are one of those things that you don’t really think about until they’re no longer working. But, selecting the right one could save you money and ensure that they provide enough power to do the job.
After all, do you know your AG10 battery from your LR1130? Well, to start off, batteries differ in two main ways: how much energy they can supply (measured in watts or milliamps) and the length of time this energy lasts (measured in hours). Both of these factors are really important to consider when buying replacements for your home. Here are some tips to help you choose the correct battery.
How Does a Battery work?
A chemical reaction occurs in the battery cells to create a flow of electrons from one terminal to another. The terminals connect through a circuit, and this allows electricity to power a device. When you press the button on your remote control, you've used stored electricity from a battery!
Batteries contain chemicals that react with each other creating an electric current. In most common household batteries, the chemicals are zinc and manganese dioxide, which release copper and oxygen as they chemically interact with each other during use.
These elements aren't found together naturally on Earth, so their origin is unclear, but the reactions cause electrons to move between metal conductors. These conductors connect to a circuit and allow electricity to flow from the battery to other devices.
In electrical science, a battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections provided to electrical power devices such as flashlights, smartphones, and electric cars. When a battery is supplying electric power, its positive terminal is the cathode, and its negative terminal is the anode. The terminal marked negative is the source of electrons that will flow and deliver energy to an external device when connected to an external circuit.
When a battery is connected to an external circuit, electrolytes can charge outside the cell through another set of chemical reactions where chemicals stored inside the battery are converted into different substances creating electric
Battery Capacity
Battery capacity, or watt hours (Wh), is the total amount of energy that a battery can supply. It's like measuring the size of an engine. The bigger it is, the more power it can produce. This figure allows you to compare the size of batteries; however, your product may not be able to use all that power.
For example, if your device needs 50 milliamps per hour (mAh) and has a 100 mAh battery, its ideal operating time will be 2 hours (100 ÷ 0.05 = 2000). But this isn't always true: different types of batteries have various capacities for releasing energy over their lifetime—a fact you must consider when choosing between them.
Rechargeable battery or alkaline?
The best possible choices depend on your product's needs. Rechargeable batteries cost more initially, but they save you money in the long run because you can recharge them again and again (and cut down on waste to boot). Alkaline batteries are ideal for low-drain devices like clocks, radios, or remote controls; they also last much longer than ordinary batteries. There are also nicd batteries for sale and they are as great as ones we already use.
High-energy drain products like digital cameras usually use rechargeables; however, high-drain products that don't require a lot of energy—such as flashlights or portable entertainment devices—work best with alkalines.
It is essential that you read your device's manual to find out what kind of battery you need, or just bring your device with you when you go to the store to buy the batteries.
How To Get The Best Out of Batteries
There are a few simple things you can do to get the best performance from your batteries:
- Cover the terminals with electrical or masking tape when putting batteries in or removing them from appliances. This will protect the terminals and your device, minimizing any damage that could result if they touch each other by accident.
- Always replace both batteries at the same time. When one battery gets low, its partner will soon follow suit. Avoid mixing old and new batteries in a device; always replace all of them at once.
- Never mix alkaline and rechargeable batteries in a device—they have different voltages and chemical compositions and won’t work together correctly.
- If you use many rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) or Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries in an appliance, its performance may diminish over time.
As a bonus tip, here's how to extend your rechargeable batteries' life:
When recharging alkaline or lithium-based rechargeable batteries, make sure you remove them from the charger when they're fully charged—just like with any other type of battery. Don't let them sit on the charger once they're ready; doing so could shorten their lifespan.
In contrast, NiCd and NiMH batteries don't have this problem because they can monitor their own charging process more accurately than other types do. Once you've finished using them, just put them back in the charger and wait until they're full.
Now that you know everything about batteries, you can start saving energy and money!
