Why do batteries go dead in an unused flashlight while the rest of the batteries still in the pack stay good?

submitted by raven9 from self.AskSaidIt

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–][deleted] 16 insightful - 4 fun16 insightful - 3 fun17 insightful - 4 fun -  (3 children)

I can explain this phenomenon, because i study it right now ! :-)

It is called "creep" current. Every source of current has certain things connecting its poles. Even the batteries in the pack will go dead. Most likely later because the resistance between them is higher than the resistance connecting the batteries in your flash-light. They most likely are connected by metal which itself has a low resistance, even when turned off.

[–]raven9[S] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Even the batteries in the pack will go dead.

Yes eventually they do but what Im talking about is this - get a new pack of batteries, put some in a flashlight and save the rest. Six months later come to use the flashlight and find the batteries are nearly dead while the batteries that were left in the pack are still like new.

[–]Red23 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

He already answered you.

[–]bobbobbybob 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

he answered, but with nonsense.

It isn't called creep, it is called Self-discharge, creep describes changes in the internal electrodes over a number of charge/discharge cycles.

The explanation given talks about lower resistance when in a torch, but provides no mechanism.