Freezing Batteries
Materials:
- 2 pieces of several different types of batteries (example: AA, Triple A, 9 volt, double D, etc.)
- Ziplock bag
- Multimeter (If you don't have one, a flashlight should do)
Instructions:
1. Pair up your batteries. You should have two of each kind. This means two AA batteries, two 9 volt batteries, and so on.
2. Test each of the batteries and note down their voltage on the multimeter. If you don't have a multimeter, put the batteries into the flashlight and note the brightness of the light as a 10 (on a 10‐point scale).
3. Take one of each pair and put it in a Ziplock bag. Place the bag in the freezer for two to three
hours.
4. Remove the batteries and test their voltage on the multimeter. Is there a difference in voltage? If you don't have a multimeter, put the batteries into the flashlight. If your initial assessment of the flashlight was marked at 10 or maximum brightness, how would you rate the light your flashlight is now emitting?
Freezing a battery lessens its voltage because it slows down the flow of energy from the negative to the positive ends. This is why your flashlights don't work that well when it's cold. Follow up this experiment by trying to see what happens when you heat batteries that are drained or dead. If you leave drained or dead batteries out in the sun, do they recharge?
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