Literature Review

An observation of the lifetime of different brands of alkaline batteries

Alkaline batteries can be kept for a long time without self discharge and it does not suffer from the memory effect like rechargeable batteries do. Alkaline batteries can be recharged if you use the suitable equipment for the job making them now on par with rechargeable batteries.

For example, when alkaline battery and rechargeable batteries are both being placed in a small torch, they both are equally as bright and last about the same duration but however, on the other hand, when they were place into high power devices such as wireless headphones, the alkaline battery lasted for only 8 hours as compared to the ni-md rechargeable batteries that lasted for 15-20 hours.

Big companies producing batteries for consumers have for years been advertising how good their brand is compared to other brands in terms of battery life and durability. Some also claim that these normal alkaline batteries are so much more cost efficient than their counterparts, the rechargeable batteries. That, may be so, since alkaline batteries are cheaper to produce. So since they are cheaper, which brand is the best to use? The eight triple A batteries costing two dollars or a similar one costing five dollars?

We aim to find all these out by carrying out this experiment between four different well known brands. Sony, Duracell, Energizer, and Panasonic on how long they last over time, after being fully discharged then recharged.

HowStuffWorks "Rechargeable Batteries". (n.d.). HowStuffWorks. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/battery5.htm

Are Rechargeable Batteries Really Cost Effective? - The Simple Dollar. (n.d.). The Simple Dollar Are Rechargeable Batteries Really Cost Effective Comments. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from http://www.thesimpledollar.com/are-rechargeable-batteries-really-cost-effective/

Alkaline battery charging - can regular batteries be recharged?. (n.d.). Alkaline battery charging -- can regular batteries be recharged?. Retrieved July 15, 2014 http://www.allaboutbatteries.com/Alkaline-charging.html/

How to Recharge Alkaline Batteries - Backdoor Survival. (n.d.). Backdoor Survival. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www.backdoorsurvival.com/how-to-recharge-alkaline-batteries/

How To Recharge Standard Duracell Batteries. (n.d.). Gizmodo. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://gizmodo.com/219933/how-to-recharge-standard-duracell-batteries

Charging Alkaline Batteries. (n.d.). Charging Alkaline Batteries. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://michaelbluejay.com/batteries/charging-alkalines.html

Can You really Recharge Standard Alkaline Batteries? - tested.com. (n.d.). Tested RSS. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www.tested.com/tech/1992-can-you-really-recharge-standard-alkaline-batteries/

Will the Reusable Alkaline Battery have a Future. (n.d.). - Battery University. Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http:/batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/will_the_reusable_alkaline_battery_have_a_future/

Project Work

Topic: Chemistry & Physics

Research Title: An investigation on measuring the amount of time taken to drain different types of fully charged rechargeable batteries

Materials Needed:

• Wires
• AAA Duracell Batteries
• AAA Panasonic Batteries
• AAA Energizer Batteries
• AAA Sony Batteries
• Motors
• Vernier labquest
• Voltage sensor
• Alkaline battery chargers

1. Which type of fully charged rechargeable battery takes the longest time to be drained?

Independent variable
AAA Sony, Duracell, Energizer, and Panasonic Batteries

Dependent variable
Amount of time the battery lasts after being fully charged by the charger.

Constant variable
Voltage of battery, Motor and Battery Charger

Hypothesis
Sony brand of battery is the most effective, in terms of the amount of time it lasts after being fully charged..

2. Does contaminated soil affect the growth of plants?

Independent variable
Amount of contaminant in each sample of soil

Dependent variable
Growth of the plant

Constant variable
Type of Plant and soil

Hypothesis
Contaminated soil slows the growth of plants.

3. Do the different chemicals in rechargeable batteries and normal batteries affect the organisms living in soil?

Independent variable
Types of chemicals present in each setup

Dependent variable
The number and types of organisms

Constant variable
Type of soil used, The amount of air present, The amount of sunlight present, The amount of water present

Hypothesis
Different chemicals from both types of batteries affect the organisms living in soil differently.

Inquiry - Science

Note: This can be found on Introductions page

" Science is the concerted human effort to understand the history of the natural world and how the natural world works, with observable physical evidence as the basis of understanding. It is done through observation of natural phenomena, and or or through experimentation that tries to simulate natural processes under controlled conditions."

Adapted from www.gly.uga.edu

What is the Scientific method?

Problem, Purpose, Research Question

The problem or research question is the topic of the project with every part of the project done to answer this question. The research question is sometimes formed as a statement and is called the "Problem" or "Problem Statement."

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is an "educated guess," formed as a statement that is proposed initially to be the answer to the research question. For example, "The plant should wither in a few days"

Materials

It is the list of all supplies and equipment used in conducting research or experiment. The list of materials should include all of the ingredients and items of the procedure.

Procedure

The procedure is a detailed, step - by - step description of how the experiment is conducted. It includes specifically how you measure to get the results to prove or disprove your hypothesis. The photos depicting the steps are good to have also.

Observations

The results are in the form of a statement that explains or interprets the data. Results can be in the form of raw data, graphs, general summarization of what the data shows. For example, "Test Plant 3 showed little difference in growth rate as compared to the Control Plant.

Conclusion

The conclusion is a summary of the research and the results of the experiment. This is where the answer to the problem or research question is; a statement of whether your data supported your hypothesis or not. It may have data that supported part of your hypothesis and not another part. It may also have data that did not support your hypothesis at all.

Adapted and edited from www.education.com