Batteries are Really Important for Modern Device Use

Electricity has always been viewed as the ideal show of civilization, with those without power being looked down upon for living off the grid. However, no matter how "civilized" one gets, the fact remains that batteries will always be in demand. After all, while one can do without the television when there is a power outage, those with pacemakers would immediately die if their device was connected to a socket.

Therefore, batteries are an important part of everyday life, be it in the office, at home, or even in the wild. Even as technological advances result in many devices and appliances, some still cannot operate without a battery. That vehicle would be useless without a battery, and so would that laptop. Quite simply, so many important parts of life are battery powered. This article gets into the detail of how various devices use batteries to run. It will also enlighten readers on the different types of batteries, their uses, advantages, and disadvantages.

Devices Needing Batteries

Laptops have the advantage of being portable, and they ensure a person's work is uninterrupted regardless of where he is. As long as the battery has some charge, one can continue working. However, a laptop battery will need to be replaced after a while because it will not store power as effectively as it did when it was new. That is usually the problem with rechargeable batteries; besides the need to recharge them regularly, charging degrades the battery with time.

The number of times people keep hitting remotes because they are not working as they should is high, yet all they need is to replace the battery. For those who like going camping, that flashlight will one day fail them unless battery replacement is frequently done. The same goes for that person who likes to go fishing but cannot leave his radio behind because he wants to know how his favorite college football team is doing.

Parents know that if they want to have peace in the house, they better have an extra pair of batteries at hand. Children can get cranky when their favorite toy or game is not working, yet after a long day at work, one wants to come home to some peace. When it is time to spice things up in the bedroom, adult options can often be incorporated. Batteries can provide the extra movement needed to kick things up a notch. 

Types of Batteries

There are two main types of batteries that people may choose from. The first are non-rechargeable. As the name suggests, non-rechargeable batteries cannot be recharged. Consequently, they can only be used once and then disposed of; hence are also called primary batteries. Of course, for this reason, they usually are quite expensive and have a longer shelf life. Furthermore, due to their non-rechargeable nature, they are made more efficient such that even in their idle state, they barely discharge and have low leakage of power. They are normally used in toys, remotes, and other small portable gadgets. They come in two forms: dry cells and alkaline batteries. Alkaline batteries are environmentally-friendly and get their name from the alkaline substance used as the electrolyte within them. Such batteries are made of Zinc and Manganese Oxide. Their low load current makes them only excellent to use in devices that do not require high currents.

Rechargeable batteries can be recharged once the energy is used up; the chemical reactions in the electrochemical cells are reversed by applying a certain voltage in the opposite direction. The most common batteries that fall in this category are Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Lithium-Ion (Li-ion), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), and lead-acid. Lead-acid is used in cars to power their lighting systems, but it can be found in heavy machinery and robots. Currently, the readily available rechargeable batteries are the Li-ion and LiPo, and the chances are that your phone battery is either of these two. The main disadvantage of rechargeable batteries is their poor charge retention and high initial costs. They have a low shelf life because while primary batteries can last for 10 years, a secondary battery can only go for 3 years; nickel-based batteries last for 5 years.