Batteries come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from small watch batteries to car and motorbike batteries as well as rechargeable batteries used in machinery used by Essex Tree Surgeon businesses. that require considerably more power to start an engine. However, one thing that they all have in common is how this power capacity is measured.
All batteries have a voltage attached to them, which can range from a standard 1.5-volt AA battery to a 12-volt battery used in cars. You might know how voltage requirements differ, but do you understand exactly what it is and how it provides power?
The physics behind voltage
The voltage level shows the difference between the electrical potential of the positive and negative terminals. The greater this difference is, the greater the voltage that is produced.
An electrical potential indicates the difference in the charge of two separate points, such as the battery’s two terminals. One of these has a positive charge and the other a negative one. With the negative charge, there are too many negatively charged electrons, whereas the positive charge has too few electrons.
When a circuit is used to connect the two terminals, it enables the electrons to move from the negative to the positive electrode. This is referred to as an electric current and is measured using amps.
The differences between voltage and current
A high voltage will not typically be dangerous, but a high current always is because it doesn’t refer to the level of electric current. Instead, it is the difference in the electrical potential.
The future
The humble battery has stayed the same for decades, even though the technology it is used in has advanced considerably. However, we are now starting to see more innovations in this area to create batteries that last much longer and charge extremely quickly.
For example, lithium-air breathing batteries could be cheaper, lighter and last five times as long, whilst gold nanowire batteries don’t degrade with multiple charges.
The way we live today is pushing these developments forward as we seek to increase our use of electric vehicles and smart technology becomes a more important focus of everyday life.