Sometimes you need to determine whether your batteries are working or not. This most often occurs when charged and dead batteries are mixed together. There are actually several solutions to this problem.
How do I know if the battery is working or not?
Below are a few options, ranging from the craziest to the most practical.
Method #1. The craziest one.
Take two batteries and connect them in series, positive to negative and negative to positive. Next, wet your finger and touch the negative end of the battery to it. Touch the positive end with your tongue. If you feel a tingling sensation, the battery is working. But don't get carried away.
Method #2. Be attentive.
Pay attention to the battery's appearance. If there's liquid or oxidation on one of the terminals, the battery is defective. It's best to take it to a recycling center.
This means that this battery is finished, that is, it is dead.
Method #3. 100% working!
To determine whether a battery is working, you'll need a standard tester, also known as a multimeter. This device can measure the amperage and voltage. This information will provide a 100% answer to the question of battery suitability.
You need to measure the short-circuit current. If it's less than 0.3 amps, the batteries are considered faulty. Average-quality batteries are those with a current of 0.3 to 0.7 amps. Anything over 0.7 amps is considered very good!
AA batteries can also be tested by measuring their voltage. If it's 1.3-1.5 volts, the battery is generally safe to use.
Method #4. Checking with electrical appliances!
The following devices are used for this:
- Micro motor.
- Incandescent lamp 1.5-3 volts.
If the motor spins smoothly for 1-2 minutes, the battery is considered good. If the motor spins normally at first, but then becomes progressively slower, the battery should be discarded.
The situation with a lamp is almost the same. A long, bright glow indicates the power source is working properly. A dim, weak glow, however, indicates the element has reached the end of its useful life.
Method #5. Sustainability.
This method of determining whether the battery is working or not is as follows:
- Take the battery in your hands and lift it above a flat surface.
- Raise to a height of 1-3 centimeters.
- Then release the battery.
If a power supply falls, it's no good. One that stays upright is perfectly usable. While performing this experiment, make sure that your hands do not shake..
This method is not reliable, as it has a high margin of error. A perfectly functional battery may fall.
Suitable for testing alkaline or alkaline batteries. They contain a gel-like electrolyte. This substance prevents the battery from bouncing too much. When the battery is discharged, the gel hardens inside. This causes the battery to bounce excessively, causing it to fall.
Tip: If your TV remote's batteries are dead and it's not working, check them with a multimeter. Batteries discharge unevenly, so one battery will definitely have a higher voltage and the other a lower one. You can take the one with the lower voltage to a collection center and buy a new one for the remaining one.
This way, using 5 testing methods, you will find out whether the battery is working or not!
Read also:
How to test a battery with a multimeter and find out the voltage?
How to check battery capacity with a multimeter?
