{"id":4950,"date":"2020-05-08T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=4950"},"modified":"2020-05-07T13:58:45","modified_gmt":"2020-05-07T17:58:45","slug":"why-does-rotating-or-removing-and-then-returning-the-same-batteries-sometimes-make-them-work-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/08\/why-does-rotating-or-removing-and-then-returning-the-same-batteries-sometimes-make-them-work-again\/","title":{"rendered":"“Why does rotating, or removing and then returning the same batteries sometimes make them work again?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Answer requested by Sam Jones)<\/small><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The electrical contacts on batteries (and the cells that make up batteries) are metal; metal can oxidize or otherwise develop a thin layer of surface contamination that reduces the electrical conductivity. This layer may be invisible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physically manipulating the battery scrapes away this layer, exposing clean metal and restoring good electrical contact. This can be enough to eke out a small bit of additional run-time in batteries that were nearly dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the battery is held in place by spring clips the “physical manipulation” could be spinning the battery in place, or removing and replacing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the battery is a plug-and-socket unit, unplugging and then reattaching the plug or socket does the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to enhance the process, remove the battery and gently clean its contacts with a soft pencil eraser, followed by a little rubbing alcohol; let it thoroughly dry, and then return to service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two notes: First, although this eke-out-a-little-more-juice is harmless to carbon-zinc, alkaline, and similar non-rechargeable batteries and cells, it’s not good for Li-ion batteries<\/strong> — they should not<\/strong> be run all the way down, if there’s any way to avoid doing to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second: If you find yourself needing to do this frequently, that would suggest that you’re using your device in a corrosion-producing environment; there could be other corrosion damage going on, besides on the battery contacts. Consider protecting the device better, or altering the device’s environment to be more electronics-friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permalink: https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=4950<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Answer requested by Sam Jones) The electrical contacts on batteries (and the cells that make up batteries) are metal; metal can oxidize or otherwise develop a thin layer of surface contamination that reduces the electrical conductivity. This layer may be invisible to the naked eye. Physically manipulating the battery scrapes away this layer, exposing clean…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,30,12,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-hardware","category-smartphones","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/18650-batteries.jpg?fit=241%2C256&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-1hQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2505,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/04\/08\/how-to-make-lithium-ion-batteries-last-for-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":4950,"position":0},"title":"How to make lithium-ion batteries last for years","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-04-08","format":false,"excerpt":"The older column reprinted below was originally published in the August 13, 2015 , Windows Secrets newsletter. This older content supplements brand-new content posted today (April 8, 2019) in the AskWoody Plus newsletter, available here. An upcoming column will update and refine the information below. (I\u2019m reprinting selected Windows Secrets\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AskWoody Plus"","block_context":{"text":"AskWoody Plus","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/askwoody-plus\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W20150813-TS-BatteryFromTop.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4782,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/16\/why-does-it-seem-like-older-cellphones-had-longer-lasting-batteries-than-smartphones-today\/","url_meta":{"origin":4950,"position":1},"title":"“Why does it seem like older cellphones had longer lasting batteries than smartphones today?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-04-16","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Gautam Naib) Because they did far less. Cellphones started as, well, phones. You used them to make voice calls or to exchange short-form (pager-style) texts. Period. With limited functions in intermittent use, the batteries on small-screen, low-power cellphones could and sometimes did last for days. But to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/smartphone-replaced.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3686,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/01\/if-i-charge-my-mobile-phone-from-a-laptop-will-the-battery-charge-last-longer\/","url_meta":{"origin":4950,"position":2},"title":"“If I charge my mobile phone from a laptop, will the battery charge last longer?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-11-01","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Dinju Sebastian) No. Amps are amps; volts are volts; watts are watts. Doesn't matter where they come from. Your phone treats your PC-provided power as just another recharge source. There are no unusual effects on the phone\u2019s battery from PC-delivered power, as compared to power delivered by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3656,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/29\/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-li-ion-battery-to-degrade\/","url_meta":{"origin":4950,"position":3},"title":"“How long does it take for a Li-ion battery to degrade?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-10-29","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Jake Timchak) Degrade by how much? Lithium-ion batteries are \u201cconsumables\u201d that inevitably get used up, even just sitting on the shelf. Li-ion batteries actually start degrading (very slowly) the moment they\u2019re assembled at the factory. Each discharge\/recharge cycle then accelerates the irreversible chemical changes in the battery,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4771,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/15\/why-are-battery-arrays-often-made-with-cylindrical-batteries-rather-than-square-prisms-so-they-could-pack-even-better\/","url_meta":{"origin":4950,"position":4},"title":"“Why are battery arrays often made with cylindrical batteries rather than square prisms so they could pack even better?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-04-15","format":false,"excerpt":"The working guts of Li-ion batteries start as flat sheets. For many heavier-duty and general purpose applications, these sheets are rolled into cylinders because a cylindrical battery can be safer than a flat one: Stacked cylinders allow spaces between them, which can be used to keep hard-working batteries safely cool\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/18650-batteries.jpg?fit=241%2C256&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4975,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/14\/computers-have-an-internal-battery-for-the-clock-to-keep-it-running-even-when-the-computer-has-no-power-why-do-stoves-not-have-this-feature\/","url_meta":{"origin":4950,"position":5},"title":"“Computers have an internal battery for the clock to keep it running even when the computer has no power. Why do stoves not have this feature?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-05-14","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Reese Horn) The batteries in PC aren't just for the internal clock; that tiny trickle of power also helps the turned-off PC to \"remember\" some basic information about its hardware components, so it will know what to do right away, when the power comes on. If the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4950"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4962,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4950\/revisions\/4962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}