Sample Materials List & Experimental Procedure
Materials List
- CD player & a CD (low drain device)
- Three identical flashlights (medium drain device)
- Camera flash (high drain device)
- AA size Duracell and Energizer batteries
- AA size of a "heavy-duty" (non-alkaline) battery (I used Panasonic)
- Voltmeter & a AA battery holder
- Kitchen timer
Experimental Procedure
- Number each battery so you can tell them apart.
- Measure each battery's voltage by using the voltmeter.
- Put the same battery into one of the devices and turn it on.
- Let the device run for thirty minutes before measuring its voltage again. (Record the voltage in a table every time it is measured.)
- Repeat step 4 until the battery is at 0.9 volts or until the device stops.
- Do steps 1–5 again, three trials for each brand of battery in each experimental group.
- For the camera flash push the flash button every 30 seconds and measure the voltage every 5 minutes.
- For the flashlights rotate each battery brand so each one has a turn in each flashlight.
- For the CD player repeat the same song at the same volume throughout the tests.
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