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Batteries: Power On the Go!

Nearly everything that beeps or flashes takes batteries. Here’s a of the different types of batteries on the market, what they’re best for and tips on keeping them fresh.

Disposables

Zinc carbon

Zinc carbon batteries are the cheapest types of batteries. They can’t handle very high demands. Also, they can die after a year of being stuck in a drawer or leak after being used for an extended period. Those extra-cheap “heavy duty” batteries you see on store shelves are actually upgrades* of zinc carbon batteries, and suffer fewer of those nasty problems.

Alkaline

The vast majority of disposable batteries sold now are alkaline batteries. These don’t leak like the old zinc carbons, and because of the way they’re constructed they provide good, long-lasting service for most devices. Think of low-power, long-use situations, like in a clock or your remote control---places where you’re not asking a lot of the battery but want it to last for a long time.

Lithium

The new kids on the block* are disposable lithium batteries. For starters, if you’re going to be using your battery-powered gadget outdoors or in the car, you’ll want lithiums; they operate at full power from 40 to 140 degrees, a much wider ranger than standard alkalines. Other advantages of lithium batteries mostly center on their ability to deliver high amounts of power without so quickly. That makes them favorites for digital cameras, MP3 players and other high-drain* uses.

Button cells

The last kind of batteries used in consumer gadgets are button cells---the tiny flat Spree candy-size nubbins* that are used in cameras, watches and calculators. Those come in two flavors: zinc air, which last longer, especially in high-use situations (you’ll often find them marketed as hearing aid batteries); and silver oxide, which are gradually being phased out because of their

Vocabulary Focus

upgrade(n)--- an improved version of something in terms of quality or usefulness

new kid on the block(idiom)--- someone or something that is new to a certain area or field

conk out (phr v)--- when something mechanical stops working or fails suddenly

high-drain(adj)--- referring to something that quickly uses up energy or resources

nubbin(n)--- a very small piece or bit of something

component(n)--- a part which combines with other parts to for something bigger

Specialized terms