Introduction: Amazing Way to Test Batteries!
If you have a device that doesn't seem to be working and you don't have a multi-meter or battery tester, you can check a batteries charge by doing this simple test!
Watch the video and see the test results including slow-motion which shows the bouncing of the discharged battery! Pretty amazing! Try it out yourself and let us know your test results!
Read the details in this Instructable after the video.
Step 1: Pre-test Check
I took two batteries, an Energizer and an Enercell. Both AA batteries and both Alkaline. The Energizer was almost fully charged reading 1.45V. The Enercell was discharged down to only .69V
Step 2: Drop Test
The ENERGIZER was lifted about 3" above a hard surface (hard wood floors) and dropped. It made a thud sound and rested on the bottom or negative (anode) end and stayed standing. No bounce.
The ENERCELL was also lifted about 3" above the same surface and dropped. It clearly bounces a couple of times and lands on it's side. I did this test multiple times and even tried different battery brand combinations. Each time the result was the same! Why does this happen. My theory is that as the alkaline in the battery wears out from discharging, it creates a gas at the anode end which gives it buoyancy or the ability to bounce. The discharged battery needs to be at least half discharged to .75V or less.
18 Comments
6 years ago
Esto es bueno, a veces se combinan las baterias buenas y descargadas y no sabemos cuales estan operativas. Es un sencillo metodo para descartar.
Saludos desde Peru
8 years ago on Introduction
"She's cuddly and she's bouncy,
She's like a rubber ball,
I bounce her in the kitchen
And I bounce her in the hall"
:-P
9 years ago
Dear kipkay, i am 13 years old and a big fan of your youtube series and instructables i love altoids tins and making mini flashlights so if you could make a video mabe like a :30 mini hack although it wouldnt be much of a hack or an instructable it would be great so i could tell my friends i dont waste my time doing educational things like that and that it acually has a benefit. Thank you for taking the time to do this. Sinceraly YankeesFisherman123.
9 years ago
Hey kipkay I was wondering if on youtube you could make a how-to on how to build a door alarm were when ever someone opens that door an alarm goes of
9 years ago on Step 2
Now how to get a test for Leclanche cells Ordinary "dry" batteries
10 years ago on Introduction
Couldn't you just weigh them?
(All those extra electrons in a charged battery have got to weigh something #;¬)
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Yeah... weigh it...
Like my old hard drive... gained 4 pounds with all that data in it!
;)
9 years ago on Introduction
I like this instructible, but don't know where the like button is.
10 years ago
Interesting! How did you discover this? Did you drop some dead batteries on the way to the garbage can or something?
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
That question is the most interesting part of this entire instructible!
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
Indeed.
Reply 10 years ago on Introduction
(not trying to say the rest of this 'ible is not interesting!)
10 years ago on Introduction
I would suspect that this has to do with the internal structure of the batteries and how they handle the outgassing from the chemistry. It would be interesting to see a more statistically useful sample. Several types, from several brands, with several batteries from each, tested both charged and discharged.
If this proves even PARTIALLY correct however it could be very usefull.
10 years ago
lick it
10 years ago on Introduction
Did you try blinding yourself and seeing if it still works? It feels implausible to me (I don't know enough about it to hold an informed opinion), butseems to be exactly the kind of thing you could easily fool yourself into believing.
That said, I'll test it for myself, blinded and unblinded, if I can find similar enough charged and discharged batteries. I'll let you know how it goes.
10 years ago on Introduction
I remember in around year 2003,we had batteries with voltmeter on them.Where did they go?What happened to them
10 years ago on Introduction
Your bio says "prankster" but I did try it, and it did work for duracell but another cheap brand I tried bounced and it tested ok. maybe it was just a crap battery.
When alkaline batteries are made liquid potassium hydroxide is injected onto the cell, I was thinking that the electrolyte may turn solid when the battery is flat, causing the bounce, but im just guessing, I will have to cut one open and have a look.
10 years ago on Introduction
interesting concept!