Before you reach for the pack of Duracells, watch our video on the best batteries to use when starting out with your electricity experiments. (The answer is much cheaper than you think.) Here’s what you need to know:


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6 Responses to “Electrical Safety – Best Batteries to Use”

  1. Both batteries and wires have a resistance. Resistance is an opposition to the flow of current. When current is opposed, the energy still has to go somewhere and is released as heat.

    Short circuiting a battery results in a high flow of current. That current heats up both the wire and the battery.

  2. Hey Aurora! I was just wondering about the science behind why the batteries get so hot when you short circuit.

  3. Sounds like a short circuit. Did you use carbon-zinc (CZ) batteries (the cheap dollar store kind?) If you used Duracell or Energizer or similar alkaline batteries, then yes, they can get really hot if you have a short in your system. We use CZ as they don’t get hot or explode when kids experiment with them. Try again, and keep your hand on the battery so you can disconnect it right away the instant it gets warm.

  4. Lorelei Grecian says:

    Okay, now I know why my bugurlar alarm doesn’t work……… Its because I used DURACELL the worst kind of batteries to use because I acually got burned <:( OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. IT HURTS
    What kind of brand do you recommend?

  5. Lorelei Grecian says:

    Aurora, I made the pressure senser burgular alarm, and the aligator clips attached to the batteries get hot when I press the sensor! I want to know if that has anything to do with the batteries? Because I almost BURNED myself :O

    Please answer,
    Raena (Age 10)
    🙂 😀 😛

  6. Carmenza Coleman Salgado says:

    Thanks a lot, Aurora!!