How to Test a Battery Cell

Batteries come in many different types. The most popular one is that of a dry cell. Dry cells are found in various devices such as toys, cameras, radios, and desktop computers.

A multimeter is a device used to test, monitor, and measure electrical devices. They come with two probes, where the black one is negative and the red one is positive. Hand-held ones are battery operated. One of the properties multimeters can measure is voltage. A digital multimeter has a display that can show the quantity of the voltage being measured, and this is useful for testing batteries.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Digital multimeter
• Dry cell battery, such as AA or C or 9 Volt

Instructions

1. Turn the multimeter on, and place it on the appropriate voltage setting. For example, if you are measuring a AA battery, the setting must be at least 1.5 volts, but if you are measuring a 9-volt battery, the setting must be at least 9 volts.

2. Place the red probe of the multimeter on the positive terminal or side of the battery, and the black probe on the negative terminal. You may need to use alligator clips to keep the probes from slipping.

3. Record the voltage. Depending on the needs of the device you are using, if the battery is off by 30 percent of its rated voltage, it may need to be replaced.

4. Turn the multimeter off.

References

• Getting Started in Electronics; Forrest Mims III; 2000
• Practical Electronics For Inventors; Paul Scherz; 2000

Resources

• Testing Household Batteries
• Voltmeter Usage