Where would we be without batteries? Batteries are found in items
that we use every day, from cell phones and cameras to MP3 players and
laptop computers. When you consider the products that you appreciate
in modern day life, chances are that many of them depend on batteries.
Batteries are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical
energy. They are designed to power external devices such as lights
or motors when an electrical circuit is created between their negative and
positive electrodes. Electrons released from the battery's negative
electrode (cathode) flow to the positive electrode (anode) through this
electrical circuit outside the battery.
This Kills M1 MacBook Pro Battery Life
M1 MacBook Pro battery life can be affected by a tiny number of energy-hungry programs.
By Brooke Crothers, Contributor. Forbes. Sunday, 21 Feb 2021 20:24:10 -0500.
Visit this battery news page for more extensive news coverage.
A battery actually consists of two or more dry cells or wet cells, each
containing electrodes and an electrolyte that produce a direct current
voltage by means of a chemical reaction. Dry cells contain an
electrolyte suspended in a pasty, absorbent material whereas wet cells,
such as those used in car batteries, contain a liquid electrolyte.
Batteries actually date back to the Parthian period of Persian history
(from 250 BC to 250 AD). Of course, this ancient battery didn't look
like today's model. Discovered just outside of Baghdad, this battery
comprises an asphalt stopper, through which an iron rod surrounded by a
copper cylinder passes. The final ingredient was vinegar. If
the jar was filled with vinegar, it could produce a current of 1.1 volts.
While this technology was used in Persia for many years, and is still used
today for electroplating by craftsmen in Iraq, the rest of the world did
not learn about electricity until at least the 17th century AD. In
1600, British physician William Gilbert published his findings about
electricity and magnetism, and in 1660, German inventor Otto von Guericke
invented a machine that produced static electricity. Around 1730,
English scientist William Gray discovered the principle of electrical
conductivity, and a few years later, French chemist Charles du Fay
discovered the existence of "vitreous" and "resinous" electricity, which
we know today as positive and negative electrical charges. In 1747,
British scientist Henry Cavendish measured the electrical conductivity of
various materials, and during the 1780s, Italian anatomist Luigi Galvani
discovered that an electrical impulse could move a severed frog's leg.
Alessandro Volta invented the first battery in 1800, but later batteries,
such as Daniell's wet cell battery (1836), Plante's lead-acid rechargeable
battery (1859), and Gassner's dry cell battery (1887), were more practical
and convenient. Carbon-zinc batteries were first sold during the
late 19th century, but their low power output and short life span limited
their usefulness. Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries were
invented shortly thereafter, but long-life alkaline batteries would
not be developed and commercialized until the 1950s. More recent
developments in battery technology include Lithium batteries as well as
rechargeable Lithium-Ion and Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.
Batteries can be connected in series to increase their voltage, or in
parallel to increase the current they provide. Standard alkaline
and carbon zinc batteries are not rechargeable; wet cell lead-acid
batteries and dry cells that use nickel cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal
hydride (NiMH), or lithium ion technology may be recharged repeatedly.
Specialized batteries are produced by OEM and third-party sources
for a wide range of electrical and electronic devices. Non-OEM
batteries are often available at substantial discounts.
Browse these online battery dealers and battery manufacturers to find a
broad selection of OEM and 3rd-party batteries for laptop computers, power
tools, and cell phones, as well as for hearing aids, flashlights, and many
other applications.