How to distinguish a battery from an accumulator?

Often, when we come to the store to buy a battery for some device, we find ourselves at a dead end and cannot understand what is in front of us on the display. Is it a simple battery or is it rechargeable? Their appearance, color, size - all this is almost the same. If you do not understand some of the subtleties, then it is quite easy to buy a useless battery instead of a high-quality battery, and then try to charge it. And here, how lucky - if everything goes well, then there will simply be a zero effect, and if it’s not our day, then the fire is not far away.

External difference between a battery and a battery

The first thing that will help us in identifying a battery and a simple battery is their labels. Or rather, not they themselves, but the information they contain:

1. First of all, we look for marks on the body - rechargeable or do not recharge. The first inscription says that this is a device designed for recharging, and therefore it is a rechargeable battery. The second inscription warns us not to even try to charge it, since it is a regular battery. Sometimes you can come across an information mark - Alkaline, this is also a simple battery, only an alkaline one, which has a longer capacity life.
2. In addition to the above-mentioned inscriptions, you can pay attention to the numbers, to the abbreviation mAh - this just means that in front of us we see not a simple battery, but an accumulator, and the numbers indicate its capacity. On a regular battery, the capacity value will not be indicated.

Battery appearance.

And this is the simplest battery.

As a rule, these characteristic differences are more than enough to recognize the battery. In addition, such power supplies cost slightly more than simple ones.

But there may not be a label on the case, or indeed any inscriptions at all. What to do in this case? Then a good old tester will come to the rescue. The voltage readings for a simple battery will be 1.6 volts, and for an accumulator it will be no more than 1.2 volts.

How to distinguish if there is no marking

It often happens that labels can become damaged, and the applied markings can be erased. It turns out that the battery was left without any identification marks at all. In this case, only a multimeter can help out.

Rechargeable batteries always have a capacity indication. This indicator lets us know how long the battery can be used without charging it, as well as in what equipment it can be used. In addition, tension should also be taken into account.

A battery has two values:

• 1.2 volts;
• 3.7 volts.

Batteries have slightly higher values:

• 1.5 volts;
• 1.55 volts;
• 3 volts;
• 3.6 volts.

If you pay attention to the last lines in the first and second groups, you will notice that they are practically the same. The difference is only 0.1 volt. Because of this, the battery can be mistaken for a simple disposable battery. The converse is also true.

An ordinary voltmeter can help determine “who is who” in such a situation. But since the differences can be negligible, it would be useful to read the instructions on the device’s body.

Differences between different types of batteries

There are also differences between battery types.

Lithium ion batteries

This type, compared to the others, is more “advanced”, since it has more energy per unit of mass than its “colleagues”. Therefore, with a smaller size, it is able to provide the same operating time. In addition, its distinctive feature is a lower spontaneous discharge rate. This means that it can be stored longer and still retain its charge.

You can additionally charge it when needed, even though the previous charge has not yet been completely used up. This in no way affects the capacity negatively. Such batteries are more environmentally friendly than other types of batteries. All this indicates their clear advantage over other batteries, but they also cost much more. Although the materials used in the production of this type of battery are practically harmless to the environment, this does not mean that they can be thrown away anywhere and anyhow.

Nickel and metal hydride batteries

With its weight, this battery allows you to store more energy than a similar battery based on nickel and cadmium. Therefore, it will last longer without requiring additional charging.What makes it similar to the nickel-cadmium version is that it must be charged no earlier than the previous charge has been completely used up. But if you suddenly overlooked it and started charging before the charge went to zero, then they will lose less of their capacity than their nickel- and cadmium-based counterpart.

The bad thing is that this battery loses its charge very quickly, even if it is not used. This makes it necessary to fully charge them before storing them on the shelf for storage. The materials used in the production of this battery are less harmful to the environment than materials of their nickel-cadmium counterpart. But less harmful does not mean that you can throw them in the middle of the street. There are special collection points for their disposal.

Nickel and cadmium based batteries

If you follow the operating rules, the battery can function for quite a long time. It should be charged only after it has been completely discharged; if this is not observed, the volume of the capacity is significantly reduced. This leads to the fact that in the future it will need to be charged much more often.

Despite this drawback, this type of battery is the most durable and reliable of all, especially if used in warm or cold weather. Capable of providing very high power at a time when it is most needed. It loses its charge very quickly during storage, so it is far from certain that if you leave a charged battery at home and return a few weeks later, you will be able to use it without recharging. Battery materials heavily pollute the environment, so batteries that have become unusable should be sent to collection points rather than thrown into a general trash bin.