Checking an AA/AAA Alkaline Battery

So everyone has a junk drawer with random batteries rolling around. I know I do. Well how do I know if any of my batteries are any good. If you have a voltmeter, you can hook up the battery and tell that way. But many people do not have one of those around their house.

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Here is a small known fact: batteries that still have life left in them do not bounce.

 

So this is what you need to do to see if the battery is still good:

 

Step 1.) Find a hard surface (kitchen counter, table, etc.).

 

Step 2.) Hold a ruler perpendicular to the table.

 

Step 3.) Place one battery about 4-6 inches up on the ruler going the same way as the ruler.  You are going to be dropping it on its end. Not on the long side of the battery.

 

Step 4.) Drop the battery.

 

It it is good, it will fall to its side right away with hardly any bounce. If it bounces around a couple of times, you know you can throw away the battery and forget about it.

 

Why does this work? As batteries get old and lose its life, a gas is produced within the cell. That gas will make it so the battery bounces.

 

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