While going out on expeditions, it is useful to know the brand of battery that lasts the longest as it would ensure a hassle-free trip without hunting for the basics. You would be interested to know that the process of finding it out constitutes a great science fair project outing for kids. Here come the ingredients and the process of the experiment.
What Brand Of Battery Lasts the Longest
Hypothesis
The Duracell battery should last the longest among other brands.
Materials
- Several brands of AA batteries such as Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic, Eveready, etc. that approximately have the same expiry date. Let it be a mix of alkaline and non-alkaline types.
- Identical flashlights, one for each battery brand, that utilize a pair of AA batteries
- Clock or watch
- Notebook
- Masking tape for the labels
Steps
- Label each flashlight with the brand of battery that it will be using.
- Load them with the designated batteries.
- Turn them on simultaneously and record the time in the notebook.
- Monitor the flashlights and record the time when each goes out.
Results
The Duracell battery lasts the longest, closely followed by Energizer and then Eveready. In general, the alkaline batteries are found to perform better than their non-alkaline counterparts.
Explanation
A battery is a dry cell that generates electricity by virtue of a chemical reaction between the electrolyte and electrode that it contains within it. The more the chemicals that can change into other chemicals, the more the electricity, the more the longevity. Alkaline batteries consist of potassium hydroxide, a basic solution that can neutralize an acid forming salts. On the other hand, non-alkaline ones are made of ammonium chloride and zinc as the electrodes. Hence the alkaline batteries fare better.
Further Research
- Test if older batteries last longer by using batteries of different expiry dates.
- Pit rechargeable and disposable batteries against each other
- Do expensive batteries do better than the cheaper ones?
The kiddos are going to love doing this one. It is simple and doesn’t involve a complex setup. Next time you go on a road trip, do this test and get better armed. It also saves you from the unwelcome effort of changing the remote batteries often while watching TV, for example. Choose wisely the next time you shop for batteries.
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