When an old battery or electronic device looses its charge after not being used for several months or years, where does the lost energy from the previous charge “go”?

Question

Is it just lost in thin air? Lost as heat even though the device is not used? Thank you for the insight.

In: 0

Answer 1

Let’s just look at a battery, normally you discharge them by electrons moving from the cathode to the anode of the battery outside it and positive ions moving from the anode to the cathode internally in the battery.

But batteries are not perfect the election can move internally too but at a quite slow rate. The result is the same as if you connect a resistor to the battery, the energy is converted to heat. A slightly warmer battery than the surrounding will lose heat to it just like any other warm object.

In an electronic device, there is another way it can happen. Lots of devices are not totally off but in a low energy usage state. The power button on a phone does not connect and disconnect the battery, it just creates a connection an electronic part that is always on can detect.

If you have removable batteries in a device then remove them to make them last longer. It also stops a battery that fails and leek from damaging the device.

A halfway option is to add a bit of insulation so the battery is in the device but not the connecter, a piece of paper or plastic work fine. It also stops them from being accidentally turned on in for example a bag. If you ever have purchased an electronic device you have to pull a tab out to make them work this was done at the factory.

So the device using a bit of energy all the time can be the explanation too.