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Three Different Types of Batteries

Being knowledgeable about battery varieties is useful when it comes to knowing the right type of battery for a particular electronic device. The history of batteries dates back to the early 19th century when the first electric battery was invented by Italian physicist, Alessandro Volta. The term "volt," which is a measuring unit for power, was named after Volta. Most batteries' power are measured by their voltage, while smaller batteries have other forms of measurement, including milliamp hours.

Alkaline
- Alkaline batteries receive their energy from the reaction of two chemicals: the metallic zinc element and manganese dioxide, an inorganic compound with manganese and oxygen. These types of batteries are traditionally primary cell batteries, which means they are nonrechargeable. However, in recent years, rechargeable alkaline batteries have been made. Each alkaline battery has a steel casing to house the battery's material. The battery's material includes a cathode, a form of electrode with manganese dioxide and carbon elements, and an anode, which is made from zinc powder. The cathode is referred to as the "negative" end of a battery, while the anode is the "positive" end. The cathode and anode is separated by a woven fiber called a "separator." The range of voltage in an alkaline battery ranges from 1.5 to 1.65 volts.
Lead-Acid
- Lead-acid batteries are secondary cells, which means they are rechargeable. This form of battery was invented in the late 1850s, which makes it one of the oldest types of secondary cell batteries in the world. Lead-acid batteries are popular for their high surge currents, which means it offers a strong initial boost of power. This is why lead-acid batteries are primarily used for objects that need a substantial amount of power, including automobiles. Lead-acid batteries usually contain six battery cells and at full charge they offer 12.6 to 12.8 volts of electricity. During the battery's charged-state, each of the battery cells in a lead-acid battery features electrodes of lead, sulfuric acid and lead oxide.
Watch
- As the name suggests, these batteries are small, circular cells that are used to energize watches. Watch batteries are referred to as button cells, due to their shape, which is similar to a button. These small batteries also are used to provide power for hearing aids. Watch cells are typically primary cell batteries with cathode and anode materials. Cathode materials consist of manganese dioxide and carbon monofluoride, while most watch cell anodes include zinc. Watch batteries with silver oxide cathodes are used to power digital caliper tools. Due to their small size, watch battery energy is measured in mAh, or milliamp hours, rather than volts. The amount of mAh power in watch batteries ranges from 200 to 620 mAh.

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