/oss/taxonomy/term/2328/all en /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/do-dead-batteries-really-bounce-and-charged-ones-not <p>You’ve probably heard of the bounce test for dead batteries- simply drop a battery, and if it bounces, it’s dead. It turns out that this isn’t completely true. Conventional batteries have an outer layer made of zinc, which once hooked into a circuit, is slowly converted to zinc oxide, while releasing electrons and allowing them to flow, thereby creating electricity. Before a battery has been hooked into a circuit, the zinc molecules aren’t aligned in any particular way. This means that when dropped, these molecules can move slightly, and absorb the kinetic energy.</p> Wed, 10 May 2017 18:46:50 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2430 at /oss