Batteries & Temperature
Tuesday November 15, 2005
If you live in a cooler climate, you probably know that your car is more likely to start on a cold winter morning if you keep it in a garage instead of outside exposed to the cold, cruel world. One reason your car may not start on a very cold day is because its battery may be unable to delivery sufficient charge. Batteries just don't last as long when they are cold as when they are warm. The quick answer to why this happens is because the chemical reactions in the cold battery proceed more slowly than they would in a warmer battery, so it's harder to maintain a reaction to keep up with current demands. The flip side of this is you can help batteries not in use hold their charge longer by storing them in cooler temperatures. For example, rechargeable batteries left on your desk probably won't hold a charge as long as the same batteries stored in your refrigerator.Effect of Temperature on Batteries | Electrochemical Cells
Comments
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It’s important to also note that batteries kept in the refrigerator are also exposed to moisture which can cause malfunction and short circuits. It’s important that readers know that storing batteries in a sealed container to prevent moisture is an absolute must!
this also helped me on the science fair project how wierd how many people are doing a project about batteries! o.o
The statement “Batteries just don’t last as long when they are cold as when they are warm” is a misnomer. If anything, their lifespan is *longer* in colder temperatures. Perhaps this should be changed to “Batteries just don’t discharge as quickly or as well when they are cold”.
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