Electrical Batteries

[frosch45]

I'm not sure this is where this goes but any help would be much appreciated

 

I recently hooked four 9 volt batteries together in a series circut, with the positives going to the negatives then on the end batteries I took 2 wires and put the ends in a small tub of water.

 

After about an hour or so, one of the bottoms of one of the batteries exploded and shot out this powdery clearish stuff with a little bit of green in it.

 

Does anyone know how I should do this so this doesn't happen? Should I do a parrallel circut (plz explain) or get a different type of battery?

 

Also what is the difference between a watt and a volt?

[Fuzzwood]

At last sentence: if you dont even know that, get a book before something worse than having to clean the table happens. Also: putting 36V on it is not a good idea. Electrolysis uses Amperage.

[Mr Skeptic]

The famous water pipe analogy: voltage is like the pressure of the flow, amperage/current is like the volume of the flow, and wattage is like the energy (volts times amperes) of the flow. Resistance is like the size and/or drag slowing the flow.

 

Simplified explanation: Batteries provide a certain amount of voltage and a certain amount of current, kind of like a water pump. If you connect them in series, you are increasing the voltage but not the current. If you connect them in parallel, you are increasing the current but not the voltage. If you do not know the basics, you are likely to burn out something, start a fire, or hurt yourself.

 

I think you should follow Fswd's advice of getting a book, or better yet, work with someone who knows what he's doing.

[DrDNA]

You didn't say what type of battery it was. The contents of many batteries are very toxic. You may have a toxic chemical spill and maybe into the air and in your lungs. Not good.

 

Please stop until you figure out what you are doing.

[swansont]

Probably too much current draw — by doing this in series all of the current was passing through all of the batteries, and perhaps you overheated them. If it's for electrolysis, a single 9V battery is plenty. If you put them in parallel, then the current gets divided between them.

[YT2095]

the problem is this, each 9v battery is made of 6x 1.5v cells, the insulation for each is NOT designed to take 36v across it, so it`ll take out the weakest link in the pile.

 

you have to look at the circuit as it REALLY is, it`s a chain of 24 individual 1,5v cells, with a 36v pd across each one (break the chain anywhere you like and you`ll read 36v).

 

obviously this overwhelmed one of the cells internal resistance.

[gcol]

you have to look at the circuit as it REALLY is, it`s a chain of 24 individual 1,5v cells, with a 36v pd across each one (break the chain anywhere you like and you`ll read 36v).

 

Are you sure this is correct? The voltage accross any individual cell in a battery cannot normally be greater than the cell's normal potential.( unless perhaps it is being charged). If you break a chain of similar cells in the middle, you will get half the original voltage. In general, the same applies to series resistors and capacitors, no?

[YT2095]

I`m certain it`s correct, here let me explain in a mental picture, imagine you have 24 AA batteries all connected + to - with a bit of wire.

there is 36v traveling around that circuit now.

and no matter What wire you break and put a meter across you will see 36v potential.

 

to we have our 2 wires now + and - with 36v across them, now use that 36v to try charge a 1.5 volt battery...

 

what will happen?

 

and That is EXACTLY what`s going on in his cct, only it Looks like 4 discrete batts, it Isn`t.

 

but even if it WAS 4 discrete 9v batts, take 3 of them in series, you now have 27v.

now use that 27v to charge a 9v cell, it`s the same thing.

 

now there`s Nothing saying you Can`t make up 36v with 1.5v cells at all, but DO try to make sure they are matched and the internal resistance will cope with it, else it`ll do the same thing again and take out the weakest cell.

[swansont]

Are you sure this is correct? The voltage accross any individual cell in a battery cannot normally be greater than the cell's normal potential.( unless perhaps it is being charged). If you break a chain of similar cells in the middle, you will get half the original voltage. In general, the same applies to series resistors and capacitors, no?

 

Depends on your reference point for the measurement. YT is correct if you measure on each side of the break point. If you pick an arbitrary point after the batteries and measure at the top and then the in the middle, without changing the low point, you'll get half.