Electronics have become such an integral part of our life that without them, we cannot even pass a second of our lives. And each electronic device depends heavily on a power source, whether it be mains or battery-run.
Therefore, it is essential for us to know about the power source if we want to properly operate any electronic device.
Which side of the battery goes on the spring?
The most common types of batteries are AA, AAA, C, and D which have two ends or terminals. These terminals should be connected to the terminals in the device. The negative terminal of the devices comes with a spring attached – which should be connected with the negative terminal of the battery.
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One of the most used electronic devices that comes in handy when we are out adventuring or camping is the flashlight. And being a portable device, it needs to run on battery – but there are different types of flashlights that accommodate batteries in different fashions.
Flashlights:
Maglite Flashlights require you to twist off a cap from its end to open the battery chamber inside. As you rotate the cap counterclockwise, the cap will come off, and you will have to put batteries inside. The number of batteries depends on how long the flashlight is.
Generally, Maglite flashlights require one AAA battery with its negative terminal facing outward – on top of which you will place the cap with the spring on.
Pelican L1 1930 models are unscrewed similarly but require four LR44 1.5V alkaline coin cells to be inserted. The battery casing is different from that of a Maglite flashlight, but the general principle remains the same – put the negative terminal on the spring end.
The other batteries would stack similarly on top of each other – with the positive terminal of the next battery touching the negative terminal of the previous one. Element K2 model’s battery installation procedure is the same, but it uses three AAA batteries.
Remote:
Another common device that uses batteries is remotes, but unlike flashlights, a remote’s battery installation is universal. You should find the battery casing on the bottom side of the remote, from which you have to remove the cover.
Next, connect the AA or AAA battery’s negative terminal to the spring end.
Is the spring side positive or negative?
Each power source requires the circuit to be complete in order to allow the electricity to flow. The terminals on the power source or batteries are similar to water hoses, one terminal sending water and the other terminal receiving the water.
When the terminals are connected to a device, the flow of electricity allows it to function.
The terminals have two polarities – positive and negative, which connect to the corresponding terminals in the device. If you observe closely the battery casing on many devices, you will notice that there are terminal markings that indicate which is positive or negative – which will show that the spring side belongs to the negative terminal of the battery.
What is the positive & negative end of a battery?
Batteries are commonly used portable power sources that store their energy in chemical form and release them as electrical energy. Since the battery stores energy chemically, to allow it to convert the chemical energy, it needs to depend on a process called electrolysis.
The positive terminal and negative terminals at the end of the batteries simply act as a gateway for the energy to transfer between the chemical mixture known as the electrolyte.
The negative terminal is responsible for flowing the electrons which allow the current to pass, and the positive terminal accepts electrons.
When the positive and negative end of the battery is connected to a device, the circuit in the device is completed and electricity flows throughout the device. The positive end of the battery is identified by the small cylindrical bulge on the end, whereas the negative end is flat.
How to put in batteries correctly?
Unless you put your batteries in the correct orientation and to their corresponding ends, the device you want to use will not get any power from the battery. In some cases, putting a single battery incorrectly could render the whole device inoperable. Follow along the steps to know how to correctly place batteries:
Getting the appropriate battery for your device:
A wise thing to do before buying batteries is to check what type of batteries and how many batteries a device uses. There are many batteries available such as AA, AAA, C, D, Coin batteries, and button batteries – which are not interchangeable.
First off, take the lid off the battery casing and count the number of slots available. Next, take a closer look into the casing, preferably using a magnifying glass and a flashlight, to read the marking on the case which indicates the type of battery it uses.
Placing the battery into the case:
Observe the terminals in the case carefully to find one flat terminal and a spring attached terminal. For AA, AAA, C, and D – place the flat end on top of the spring then press to compress the spring.
Afterward, push the battery completely into the case and release the battery’s bulged end to the case’s flat end.
The coin and button batteries have a slightly rounded surface (negative end) which should be placed into the case, with the flat surface (positive end) facing outwards. Once the batteries are placed, put the lid back on the case and screw it to the casing.
Why do batteries go in opposite directions?
You might have a question that is common to many regarding the reasoning behind the placement fashion of the batteries. Why aren’t all the batteries placed in the same direction? – the answer to these questions have been explained below:
Less or no cables required:
In order to have electricity flow properly from the source to the device, a connecting link is required, for which the most commonly used links are cables.
However, the wiring procedure can become tedious and troublesome for small devices and could increase the overall production cost of the device.
Since the negative end of one battery is to be connected with the positive end of another battery in the case of multiple batteries, placing them in opposite directions reduces the distance between the ends to connect.
Simpler chassis design:
This is similarly linked to the cable management and requirement. If the batteries were to be connected with all facing the same direction, the wires needed would be greater and the chassis or case that holds the batteries would become much more complicated.
Since the batteries are placed in opposite directions, there is no additional wire required and thus cable management is easier. So it becomes simple to design a chassis that can hold many batteries in a small space.
How to put in batteries with springs?
Each battery casing has two terminals that correspond to the positive and negative terminal of the battery. The positive terminal in the casing is a flat metal sheet, whereas the negative terminal consists of a spring.
A battery must be properly connected to both the spring and the flat terminal to allow the device to function.
To correctly put a battery in a slot, the spring has to be compressed to provide room for the battery. So firstly, to put a battery in a slot, you have to hold the battery parallel to the slot with the negative end facing the spring.
Next, hold the battery end against the spring and compress it enough to make sure the positive terminal is hovering on top of the flat sheet terminal.
Finally, push the battery down into the slot fully and then release the battery gently until the spring decompresses and the positive end of the battery is pressed against the flat sheet terminal.
What happens if the batteries are installed the wrong way?
Installing batteries the wrong way poses no harm, but it does have consequences. Do not panic because devices are designed to prevent any damage to the sensitive parts of the batteries that are connected in the wrong way.
If batteries are connected with the same terminals linked together, the battery will discharge into each other without the device getting any power.
Not all batteries have the power and charge, so batteries with higher power will discharge themselves, while the lower-powered battery will overcharge.
This will keep happening back and forth with a loss of power, and eventually, the batteries will run dry. The wrong connection does no harm, but it will cause them to deplete.
Final Thoughts
The most popular battery kinds are AA, AAA, C, and D, all of which have two ends or terminals. These terminals should be attached to the device’s endpoints. The negative end of the device is equipped with a spring that should be coupled to the negative side of the battery.