What is a Battery?
About batteries
Did you know?
- On average a consumer purchases batteries 4 times a year
- The battery market is estimated to be £1bn retail market in the UK by 2009
- Batteries have the highest margin per sq foot in most retail stores
- Batteries are often an impulse/distress purchase by the consumer
- Batteries are sold in more retail outlets than any other products
- Due to the range of products that are reliant on batteries, they are virtually recession proof.
Batteries use powerful microtechnology to deliver electricity. They can do this because they contain chemicals that cause a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction generates electricity, which means that the battery becomes an energy source.
Batteries can usually only supply energy for a specific period of time. After this period the chemical reaction comes to an end and the batteries can no longer be used. In the case of rechargeable batteries, the chemical components are returned to their original state during the recharging process, so that the discharge can start again from the beginning.
The power of a battery is expressed in amperes and the voltage is expressed in volts.
The chemical composition of a battery determines its voltage and the quantity of material (the size of the battery) determines its power (expressed in Amperes).
The power of a battery is important when it comes to making an appliance work. This is because a sophisticated radio uses more energy than a simple travel alarm clock. The more demanding the appliance, the more power it needs to work. This also explains why some appliances make more space for batteries than others. Several batteries working together can deliver more power.