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Make sure the battery voltage is at least 90 percent of the full-charge rate.
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Batteries not included. Many things we buy today don't come with a source of power, batteries. And most batteries have the useful life of a two-year old's attention span. So they are continually being replaced. But should they? The Fix-It Club knows!
A household battery stores electric current that can be accessed when its terminals are connected to each other to form a circuit. All batteries contain two electrodes and an electrolyte; together they produce a chemical reaction that results in a current of electricity.
Small household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D) are also called "dry" batteries because the electrolyte is a paste of powdered chemicals. Alkaline batteries use an alkaline electrolyte. A battery's voltage depends on the metals that are used in its electrodes and the number of cells. Household batteries produce 1.5 or 9 volts of direct current (DC) electricity, depending on the model.
See also Testing Button Batteries for information on the smaller batteries that power watches, calculators, toys, palm computers, electronic notebooks, computer clocks, some cell phones, and many other household items.
To test a household battery:
- Set the multimeter to the DCV scale.
- Touch the red multimeter probe to the battery's [+] terminal and the black probe to the [-] terminal. If the reading is more than 10% below the rated output (1.35 V or 8.1 V), the battery is bad and should be replaced.
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