Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am new to sciencebuddies, so i hope I put this the right way.
I am doing a project on the effect of magnets on the loss of voltage of batteries under load. I am just starting and can't find clear answers to fine tune hypothesis, but I thought strong magnets would effect batteries but what i find is that they shouldn't.

My design is to have AA batteries manufactured same day with same start voltage in circuits to simple bulbs, with control batteries and batteries attached with simple neodymium magnets of varying strength gauss 1000 2500 4500. Control voltage, then attach 1.5" x 1/2" x1/8" magnets to AA batteries,turn on circuit and then measure battery output every 10 minutes over 2 hours. My voltmeter seem pretty good to hundredth of a volt, but I am also worried the voltmeter will be affected by the magnets, which I plan to attached lengthwise to batteries with north on positive pole of battery...so lots of room for advice?

As so far I can't find research that relatively weak magnets can affect battery voltage output, I assume which pole is where doesn't matter, but does my experiment design seem scientifically consistent?

the physics and math are beyond me, so I read stuff and try to follow, but can't really get more complicated than understanding what is magnetism how it works in observation, and how batteries work anode/cathode...
thanks for any help

isa7bot - Your question is interesting, but my intuitive sense is that a battery, an electro-chemical device, would not be effected by magnetic fields, even strong ones such as would be developed by neodymium magnets. Of course you could have unusually strong fields like those developed by MRI machines that might have some detectable effect, but I'm not even sure I could explain what phenomena would be responsible. Attached is a page from an FAQ put out by Energizer, the battery manufacturer, that also states that magnetic fields have no effect on battery performance. Keep researching, you might find some unique reference to this issue, but nothing comes to my mind.

Rick Marz

thanks very much for quick reply. I thought I had a good idea, but not very good ground for discovery! So I am doing much more research and hope to rethink a better project to investigation/demonstration.

Isa