Eli5: why do batteries start working again when you swap them round?
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It’s not swapping them around that makes it work, but the fact that you disturb oxidized contacts when you remove and reinsert, so that the batteries make better contact/complete circuit again.
It works just as well if you remove them and reinsert the same way they were before.
There’s two reasons why swapping them would affect in anyway whether they work again. The first reason is oxidation or unclean terminals that prevent a good connection. By removing them and then reinserting it’s possible to scrape some of what’s preventing contact.
The second reason is more so when battery is completely drained. When a battery is under load, the voltage drops and so does the amperage. When a battery is discharged enough, the voltage drops to a point where the device will no longer work (depends on the device, and battery chemistry).
When you take the battery/batteries out of the device, the reaction stops and the battery will cool down and voltage will rise a bit allowing a little bit more current to flow. Giving he appearance that a dead battery might not be completely dead yet.
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