Name:_______________________

Date:_______________

Period:________

 

 

Inquiry 3.1          

Charging a Battery

 

Follow the procedures on pp. 21 -22 in y our textbook.  PAY ATTENTION TO THE SAFETY TIPS ON p.22.

 

Note:  If the battery is charging properly, a red light next to the charging bay will come on.

  1. To insert a battery into the charger –

 

i.                     Make sure battery charger is unplugged.

ii.                   Open the lid and place the battery in the charger with the positive end of the battery at the positive end of the charging bay.  The positive end of the battery and charging bay are marked with a plus (+) sign.

 

  1. To remove a battery from the battery charger –

 

i.                     Unplug the battery charger, the open the lid.

ii.                   Remove the batteries one at a time.  Then close the lid on the charger.

 

OBSERVATION CHART:

 

OBSERVATIONS

BATTERY CHARGE TIME (minutes)

 

 

Discharge Device

(Load)

30 seconds

60 seconds

DIAGRAM OF CIRCUIT

Light bulb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflections Questions:  ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN YOUR COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK.

 

  1. How was your battery different after you attached it to the charging apparatus for 3.0 minutes?  Support your answer with evidence.

 

  1. How can you explain your observation?

 

  1. What happened when you left the bulb connected to the battery?  Why did this happen?

 

  1. What happened to the battery’s energy when you connected it to the light bulb?

 

  1. What happened when you repeated your experiment with the electric motor?

 

  1. From your observations, do you think the motor or the light needs more energy to operate?  Give reasons for your answer.

 

  1. On the basis of your experiences in Lessons 2 and 3.  Write a description of a battery in your science notebook.

 

Now read the article entitled, “Different Batteries for Different Needs”, pp. 24 and 25 in your textbook.  ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN YOUR COMPOSITION NOTEBOOK.  Write the heading, DIFFERENT BATTERIES FOR DIFFERENT NEEDS, at the top of your composition notebook.

 

  1. What do all batteries have in common?

 

  1. What energy transformation occurs when you charge a battery?

 

  1. What is the capacity of a battery?

 

  1. The capacity of a battery depends on what factors?

 

5.  Copy this chart and fill it in:

 

Type of Electronic Device

Type of Battery Needed

Laptop computer

 

 

Flashlight

 

 
    1.  What other improvements would you like to see in batteries?

 

    1. How could these design improvements be made?