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)

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[–]Bigs 2 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

OK fuckwits, I'll explain it as the comments are getting ridiculous...

Here's the deal. In the pack, the batteries are entirely disconnected from anything at all. For all (of our) intents and purposes, zero current goes anywhere.

When actually installed in a device, the switch in the "off" position has simply created a tiny little gap. Plus you usually have at least 2 batteries connected together, so twice the potential and a teeny, weeny gap...

What happens is little stray electrons or wotnot do indeed creep across that gap. The current is nothing like enough to activate the device and you'd struggle to measure it with a voltmeter but there IS a tiny flow.

Another classic example of this is how a car or boat battery will actually drain just because it's dirty or dusty. Again it's tiny but a little tiny weeny current is actually flowing through the dirt and dust, connecting the 2 terminals, and those are quite a long distance away from each other. The gap in a flashlight switch when 'off' is probably only about 1 or 2 mm. Some tiny current will creep through the air or across the plastic.

Now you may say "Bullshit, the circuit is broken!" but read your own question again. The effect is strong enough for you to have noticed it, right?

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

yup and I think it's a lot not just a little current floating. It goes thru the air easily and doesn't have to be touched. And batteries do run down while in the pack just like they do inside the flashlight. Batteries have a shelf life of 5-10 years. Nicola Tesla knew how to have free energy in the air. This isn't used because companies can't monetize it as well, they need it to be something you have to buy, either batteries or electricity that comes into your home thru a wire. If it's in the air how do they charge for it? Maybe require a password like with wifi? So every device would need a little password prompt on it? That might come in the future but up to now it wasn't feasible. This is also why companies are don't use solar power, that is free coming from the sun, a perpetual motion machine for all intents. How to monetize it, can't guard it like an oil field or nuke plant.

[–]bobbobbybob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

tesla used AC - resonant AC current.