The Effect of Temperature on Name Brand and Generic Batteries
Researched by Nick C 2002-03	PURPOSE  HYPOTHESIS  EXPERIMENT DESIGN  MATERIALS  PROCEDURES  RESULTS  CONCLUSION  RESEARCH REPORT  BIBLIOGRAPHY  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The first purpose of this experiment was to determine to what degree temperature affects the discharge time of an AA battery. 

The second purpose was to determine if generic batteries provide as much energy per dollar as name brand batteries.

I became interested in this idea when I was listening to my portable CD player and realized that some batteries lasted longer than others did.

The information gained from this experiment may be used by people who are shopping for batteries and can’t decide if generic or name brand batteries are better for their price. 
 

My first hypothesis was the colder the temperature, the battery is operated at, the less electrical output the battery will provide.  My second hypothesis was that name brand batteries would burn longer per dollar. 

I based my hypothesis on the website http://www.thermoanalytics.com/support/publications/batterytypesdoc.html, which states battery output degrades as the temperature starts to become colder.

The constants in this study were:

• The electrical wires used
• The clock used to time
• Surface the experiment was being tested on
• Size of battery (AA)
• Condition of battery (new)
• Storage temperature within each group

The two manipulated variables were the temperature I tested in and the different brands of batteries.  I tested in 3 temperatures and used 36 batteries.

The responding variable was the discharge time of the batteries. 

To measure the responding variable I will place a battery in a battery holder, then attach insulated wires with alligator clips to each side of the battery holder.  After connecting the wires to the end of the battery holder, I will then attach them to an electric clock.  The clock will measure how long the battery generates electrical output. 
 

QUANTITYITEM DESCRIPTION
9                      name brand batteries (Energizer)
9                      different name brand batteries (Duracell) 
9                      generic batteries (Eveready)
9                      different generic batteries (Fred Meyer)
2                      travel alarm clocks requiring 1 AA battery
2                      95 cm insulated wires 
10                     2.47 volt light bulbs
4                      alligator heads
1                      lab thermometer

A. Build test device. 
1. Working with the positive wire. 
a. Solder one end of the first 95 cm wire to the + end of the AA battery holder. 
b. Cut a 1 cm gap in the wire’s insulation 78cm from where the first wire connects to the + battery holder.
c. Now, solder one side of the first light bulb base to the wire in the insulation gap. 
d. Now, cut a second insulation gap on the piece of wire that is 6cm after the first light bulb base.
e. Solder one terminal of the second light bulb holder to the open gap of the wire.
f. Solder 1 alligator clip to the far end of the wire.
2. Working with the negative wire. Repeat steps 1.1 through 1.6 above except solder the first end of the wire to the ? end of the AA battery holder.
3. Screw one of the 2.47 volt light bulbs into each of the light bulb bases.
4. Clip the positive alligator clip to the positive terminal inside the alarm clock.
5. Finally clip the negative alligator clip to the negative terminal inside the alarm clock.
B. Conduct the experiment.
 1. Before testing store all batteries for this test at designated temperature for 6 hours or more.
 2. Testing in 20° Celsius with AA Eveready Batteries.
a. Use lab thermometer to measure the temperature to 20° Celsius. 
b. Set the alarm clock to 12:00 exactly.
c. Place 1 AA Eveready battery into the battery holder.
d. Check to make sure the clock ticks and the light bulbs are lit (the battery’s power is being drained).
e. After the light bulbs go dark and clock stops, the battery’s energy is drained, so record the time it took to do so.  The time on the clock face will record the hours and minutes the battery lasted.
f. Reset the alarm clock to 12:00 after recording.
g. Repeat B. 2.a- 2.h for trial 2. 
h. Repeat B. 2.a- 2.h for trial 3.
3. Repeat steps B.1 and B.2 at 20° Celsius with AA Fred Meyer Batteries.
4. Repeat steps B.1 and B.2 at 20° Celsius with AA Energizer Batteries.
5. Repeat steps B.1 and B.2 at 20° Celsius with AA Duracell Batteries.
7. Repeat steps B.1- B.5, except test in a temperature of 3° Celsius instead of 20° Celsius.
8. Repeat steps B.1- B.5, except test in a temperature of negative 17° Celsius instead of 20° Celsius.
 

The original purposes of this experiment were to determine to what degree Temperature affects the discharge time of an AA battery. The second purpose was to determine if generic batteries provide as much energy per dollar as name brand batteries.

The results of the experiment were that at 20°C Energizer had the longest burn time, while Eveready had the shortest burn time.  At 3°C Energizer had the longest burn time, while Eveready had the shortest burn time.  At ?17°C Fred Meyer had the longest burn time, while Energizer had the shortest burn time. 

View my table and graph.
 

My first hypothesis was the colder the temperature, the battery is operated at, the less electrical output the battery will provide. The results indicate that my first hypothesis should be accepted.  The colder the temperature the batteries were placed in the less time they provided energy. 

My second hypothesis was that name brand batteries would burn longer per dollar. The results indicate that my second hypothesis should be rejected.  One of my name brand batteries lasted longer and cost less than one of my generic batteries. 

Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if other sizes of batteries, such as D or AAA, will have differences in burn time.  I also wonder if I used another technique to drain battery energy, if the outcome would be much different.

If I were to conduct this project again I would use more types of batteries, more batteries of each type, test in more temperatures, and use a different method to drain the energy from the batteries. 
 

RESEARCH REPORT Introduction Many people use electricity in their everyday lives, by watching T.V., listening to the radio, driving a car, using a computer, or even in an ordinary science class.  One of the ways people use electricity is by means of batteries. Batteries are devices that store a certain amount of electricity chemically.  Electricity Uses of Electric Energy Four uses of electricity are in transportation, in communications, in homes, and in industries. In transportation electricity supports subways, trolleys, and trains, which carry many people to and from work every day.  Electric devices that create sparks can start gasoline on fire to supply power to the engine.  For communications electricity powers telephones, radios, T.V., fax machines, and computers.  Optical fibers, wires or thin strands of glass, send electrical signals using light.  Industries use electricity in their equipment and for the conveyer belts on assembly lines.  Also manufacturers use electric devices to ensure correct sizes and quality for their products. In homes people use electric appliances such as coffee pots, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, televisions, stereos, and ovens.  Electricity provides light, it can also provide heat to cook food, and can keep refrigerators cold to preserve our food.  Living space is often warmed or cooled with electrical devices.  Conductors and Insulators A material that can conduct electricity is called a conductor.  One type of conductor is metal.  Metal can contain a large number of free electrons making it a good conductor.  Metal wires are used to carry electric energy, the most often used metal for wires is copper.  Liquids such as salt water can conduct electricity also because it contains sodium ions that can move about the liquid freely.  When gas is an extremely hot temperature atoms inside can cut electrons loose, making the gas plasma, which is a great conductor.  Materials that cannot conduct electricity because of tightly bound electrons are called insulators.  Insulators such as glass, rubber, plastic, and dry wood are great for electrical safety.  Most household appliances such as a coffee pot have an electrical cord that plugs into an outlet.  The electric cord consists of an insulator wrapped around a conductor, the insulator makes the cord safe to touch. Electric Circuits An electric circuit is a path that electricity follows from a device to an energy source.  There are two ways to set up a circuit, in parallel or a series. Circuits that contain only one electrical path are called series circuits.  The energy flowing in a series circuit passes through every object in its path.  Unlike series circuits, parallel circuits consist of two paths.  Having two paths the parallel circuits can provide equal energy to two or more devices with one energy source.  Electric current Electric current is created when a flow of electric charge passes through a conductor.  The energy connected with the flow of current can be changed into other forms, such as heat, by means of devices.  Electric current can flow in a direct path or an alternating path.  A direct path is made when the electric current is flowing in one direction.  An alternating path is made when the electric current is moving back and forth rapidly.  Batteries Kinds of batteries One way to classify batteries is by their design.  There are two basic designs, primary and secondary.  Primary batteries have a certain amount of chemical solution inside of them that provides power to portable equipment.  When this solution is used up the battery will stop working and can be discarded.  Secondary batteries have a certain amount of electrical energy that also provides power to portable equipment.  When the secondary batteries electric energy is used up they can be recharged to restore their energy.   Another type of classification for batteries is by their electrolyte.  Electrolyte is a chemical substance that conducts electric current in a cell.  The electrolyte substance in primary batteries can be jellylike or pastelike.  Dry cell batteries are batteries that possess a nonspillable material.  Wet cell batteries are batteries that posses liquid chemicals.  How dry primary batteries work    The most commonly used primary cells are dry cell batteries.  Electrodes are the two structures that make up dry primary batteries.  There is a chemically active material inside every electrode.  When one places electrolyte between two electrodes, an anode and a cathode are created.  An anode is a negatively charged electrode.  A cathode is a positively charged electrode.  Mercury cells, carbon-zinc cells, and alkaline cells are the three major primary batteries.    Mercury cell batteries are made up of mercuric oxide (acting as a cathode), potassium oxide (acting as the electrolyte), and zinc (acting as an anode).  Both zinc and mercuric oxide are changed during discharge.  The zinc becomes zinc oxide and the mercuric oxide becomes mercury.  Mercury cell batteries are used for sensitive devices because its voltage remains constant instead of dropping like alkaline and carbon-zinc.    Carbon-zinc cells are contained in a can that acts both as a container for the parts of the cell and as an anode.  For the cathode current-collector a carbon rod is placed in the middle of the cell can.  By mixing the materials manganese dioxide with carbon powder and packing it around the rod creates the actual cathode.  A sheet of absorbent material soaked in an electrolyte separates the cathode and anode.  The absorbent material is called a separator and is usually a piece of paper or cardboard.   Electricity from carbon-zinc cells is created when the atoms inside the zinc oxidize.    Alkaline cells have anodes that are very absorbent.  Potassium hydroxide is a strong alkali solution that acts as an electrolyte.  The alkaline cells have the same anode and cathode as the carbon-zinc cell.  Both the alkaline cell and the carbon-zinc cell undergo similar chemical reactions.  The alkaline compound conducts more electricity than the carbon-zinc compound.  Temperature Thermodynamics    Thermodynamics is the study of the relationship between heat and forms of energy.  Thermodynamics has three laws, but is based on two main laws.  The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed in a system.  The second law states that energy is only converted from one form to another.  The natural direction of energy flow is from hotter areas to areas of less heat.  Absolute zero is the concern of the third law of thermodynamics.  It states absolute zero is impossible to reach by reducing temperature. Summary   Batteries are widely used by almost everybody in our society.  Unfortunately, batteries are a source of pollution and a major expense for families.

Bibliography "Battery."  Microsoft Encarta CD-ROM, 2001  edition Bowen, Robert "Thermodynamics."  World Book Encyclopedia.1998 Brodd, Ralph, et. all  "Battery."  World Book Encyclopedia, 2002. "Electricity."  Microsoft Encarta CD-Rom, 2001 edition James, D. Stanley  "Battery."  World Book Encyclopedia, 1998. Wolfson, Richards  "Electricity."  World Book Encyclopedia, 1998.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people. Without them my project would not have been possible.

• I would like to thank Mr. Newkirk for extensively helping me with ideas, procedures, and loaning me materials for my science project. 
• I would like to thank Mrs. Helms for helping me shorten my abstract.
• I would like to thank my parents for providing me with the necessary materials to conduct my experiment.
• I would like to thank my parents for picking me up after school when there were late soar sessions.

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