Every electronic circuit, project or gadget like our mobile phone or the speakers that we use, require electrical power to function. We can draw this required electrical power from our mains outlet using a power supply. When we want mobility and freedom from wires, we have to use a portable powerhouse. These are DC power sources and we call it a Battery. There are many types of batteries and there are literally infinite appliances that use batteries of different types. Our TV remote, Wall-Clock, wristwatches, cars, laptops, mobile batteries are everywhere. The battery provides a mobile voltage source. Depending upon our requirement we chose a battery which fits our requirement and our budget. e-vidya comes with a 9V Battery which is available everywhere and most easy to use. The household battery which we also call as pencil cell used in tv remote is a small one and gives 1.5V of DC voltage. The DC power source is denoted in the circuit diagram by a special symbol as shown below

Anode represents the positive terminal of battery and cathode represents the negative terminal of the battery. During building various circuits, we have to take extreme precaution that we should not connect it wrong otherwise; it may cause severe problems to our circuit. So take care while connecting the battery to any circuit. The 9v Battery provided has a clip showing red wire for an anode and black wire for a cathode. 9v battery looks like this

How Battery Works?

So what actually is a Battery? It is a combination of two or more electrochemical cells in which stored chemical energy is converted into electrical energy. Each cell consists of two half cells connected in series through an electrolytic solution. One-half cell houses the Anode to which the positive ions migrate from the Electrolyte and the other houses the Cathode to which the negative ones drift. The two cells are may be connected via a specific structure allowing ions (charged particles) to flow.

Types of Batteries

Apart from these 9v Batteries, below are some common types of batteries we use along with pictures and their rated voltage and applications where they are used

Name

• Pencil Cell
• General Cell
• AA Type

Specification

• 1.5 Volt
• Lightweight Low current

Usage

Remote Control Battery, Toys, General Purpose

Name

• Pencil Cell
• General Cell
• AAAType

Specification

• 1.5 Volt
• Lightweight and Low Current

Usage

Remote Control Battery, Toys, General Purpose

Name

• Lead-Acid Battery

Specification

• 12v, 6v
• Heavy and High Current Capacity

Usage

• Emergency Lights, Solar Lamps
• Emergency Fans, Computer UPS

Name

• Acid Filled Battery

Specification

• 12v, 24v,
• Very Heavy,
• Very High Current

Usage

• Vehicles,
• Bikes,
• Cars,
• Inverters

Name

• Special Batteries
• Li-Ion

Specification

• 3.7v Each Cell
• High Current

Usage

• Mobile Phones,
• Cordless Phones
• Laptops

Name

• Special Batteries
• Ni-Mh

Specification

• 1.2v

Usage

• Mobiles

Name

• Special Batteries
• Ni-Cd

Specification

• 1.2v High Current
• Small Size

Usage

• Mobile Phones,

Name

• Battery Pack

Specification

• Ni-mh,
• Ni-CD or
• Li-Ion battery Pack combined for higher voltage

Usage

• Mobile Phone
• Robotics