Explain Energy Phenomenon.

[Magicman89]

Hi, I am new here. I have a question that always puzzles me.
Please help.
I have clocks from quartz, classic cheap standalone AA tableclock. I've had it about 10 years. My friend I used to live with died 2017, he was the last to replace the battery, since his death, noone has ever touched the clock. The clock has stopped moving 2 years later (2019) as expected to change which i have sentimentaly ignored, but sometimes in the cold weather, it starts ticking, it doesn't happen everyday, but it happens often. Battery is Kodak AA 1.5V 2017.
My question is, how can the battery still have charge after using it 7 years, even after obvius evidence of discharge?

[morgea]

Hello!

Although the battery may be old and have some discharge, an outside condition may trigger a small amount of stored charge for an action to occur. In the case of your clock, the cold temperature may be acting on the small amount of stored charge in the battery, causing the clock to tick. That small amount is most likely enough when the cold temperature is present. However, this does not 100% mean the battery is reliable since it has been used for seven years and is degrading over that time frame.

Quartz clocks do not require high power consumption from a battery, which is also why the small amount of charge, almost like residue, is enough to have it tick in abnormal conditions.

Hope this helps!

[Magicman89]

Excellent, thank you for your interest in my question, I believe you are right, but i want more detail on that small left over charge. I have done some research. Cold weather affects the mechanism due to higher friction. It should cause for the action to be harder, to obtain reaction. The battery is not able to make enough positive electrons in the room temperature, but can produce enough positive electrons in cold, even though, its harder. This ratio doesn't make sense to me. The battery is usually 2 materials with oscillating electrons, the acid makes them flow. The only way the battery has enough positively charged electrons to move the clock even a tiny bit, neutral electrons inside the negative terminal must be charged. If there are positively charged electrons still left in the circuit, they will get gradually used and mechanism stops. I was expecting that to happen, once or twice after discharge, but not 100s of weeks repeatedly. I am grateful for your answer, but I am looking for more detail, personally, I think something is shrinking and expanding, but I can't tell, if it's a negative terminal, positive terminal or the acid and how does that make neutral electrons become positive. Any idea? Thank you.

[amyCC]

Please note that these forums are designed to support student science project questions. For questions outside of the K-12 scope, please use other general science forums online.

Amy
Science Buddies

[Magicman89]

Shame on you.
I did post it on other scientific forums and so far, the best explanation still sits here.