Batteries

          This week in science I learned about many things, but one of the things I was most interested in was batteries. I learned about the types of batteries, battery sizes, battery voltage and capacity, and what different batteries are used for.

          First, a battery is a tool used in many devices that converts chemical energy to electrical energy and flows it through the rest of the object. Batteries are used all over the world, from little talking toys to semi-trucks. However a toy might use a double A 1.5 v (volt) battery, while a car would use a 12 v battery which could power the car instead of a 1.5 v battery. Volts stand for the measurement of energy or electricity inside the battery.

          There are many types of batteries that are useful for different things, so here are a few: There is the Alkaline Battery, which is a very popular battery and is great for a back-up battery. A battery that is good for robots is the Nickel-Cadmium battery, which has high capacity. Another battery is the Nickel-Metal-Hydride; a higher quality, lower capacity battery, but it is expensive. The Lithium-ion battery is used for laptops, and it is expensive too. Finally, the Sealed Lead-Acid (SLA) battery is a good battery for large robots, and it provides a lot of current. Different kinds and sizes of batteries can determine the voltage and capacity, also what the battery is used for.

          This week has been very interesting. I enjoyed learning about motors and batteries. I can not wait to build my robot and be able to understand how everything works too. I wonder what I will learn about next week that will increase my education in robotics.