Battery Drop Test: Causes, Performance and Results

Battery is a delicate object that needs to be taken care of properly. Being a delicate object, the battery has different kinds of terms and unique myths. One of the myths we will talk about in this article is battery drop test.

If you’re planning to do a battery drop test, don’t do it yet! It’s best to find out whether the battery drop test is true or not. In this article, we will talk about battery drop tests and everything about it, from its definition, causes, performance, and results.

Why does a dead battery bounce?

Before we talk whether a dead battery bounce is true or not, let’s talk about what actually is first. Basically, there is a myth going on about dead battery. The myth is that dead batteries actually bounce. So, when you do a battery drop test, it is actually the process of dropping the battery to see whether it bounces or not. If it bounces, that means the battery is dead. At least, that’s what the myth said.

Unfortunately, we will have to be the myth busters here because the battery drop test won’t tell if the battery is dead or not. All kinds of batteries, whether they are dead or full, will bounce. The only thing we find out from the battery drop test is whether the battery is new or not. That’s it.

What makes the battery bounce? Well, it has something to do with zinc oxide and its nature inside the battery. Batteries, mostly conventional batteries, have an outer layer that  is made out of zinc. Zinc has a bouncy nature, so when the battery is dropped, it will bounce. So, the reason why a new battery would bounce is because of zinc.

However, as time passes by, the bouncy nature of zinc will harden due the chemical process inside it. The chemical process happens when the battery is connected to electricity. The electricity will align the molecule in such a way, making them slowly create a hardened feeling. The bouncy nature of zinc will slowly dissipate (since the molecule is now aligned), and it will turn into a ceramic feeling. So when the battery no longer bounces, it is simply because the battery is no longer new, nothing less, nothing more.

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Are batteries good if they bounce?

Battery bouncing does not indicate whether they are good or not. After all, they bounce when the battery is still fresh (not used for a long time). Meanwhile, there are many factors that define a battery’s nature of being “good.” it can be its condition when first released,  the initial energy it has, the condition of the battery, and many more. Thus, a battery’s bounce cannot define the battery’s nature.

However, a battery drop test is useful for predicting the amount of energy left from the battery. Although it cannot measure the exact amount of energy left inside the battery, it is a common concept that the battery can bounce at most when the battery’s energy is halfway of the charge. So when it’s beyond half, the battery will not bounce. Even if it bounces, it will give the impression that the battery is forcing itself to bounce.

So if you want to predict how much energy the battery still have left, you can try the battery drop test by dropping the battery. When the battery bounces, it’s more likely that the energy is more than halfway. However, if the battery struggles at bouncing or does not bounce, then the battery’s energy is halfway left or below halfway.

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What happens when you drop a battery?

As stated or hinted from the previous paragraphs, there are three things that will likely happen when you drop a battery. The first option is that the battery would bounce. This would usually happen when the battery is still new or hasn’t touched electricity, as the zinc from the outer layer absorbs the kinetic energy from the bounce.

The second option that happened is the battery would bounce, the bounce would not be as vigorous as the first bounce. This is the indication that the battery has been used, although not for a long time. The bouncy nature of zinc is slowly dissipating, and it’s turning into zinc oxide. It can also mean that the battery’s energy has been used, but the energy is still above halfway.

The third option is the battery does not bounce, or its bounce is “writhing.” When this happens it means that zinc oxide is already formed inside the outer layer of the battery. The bouncy nature is completely gone, and all we have left is the hard “layer” or ceramic-like feeling that does not absorb kinetic energy. It can also mean that the battery’s energy is only halfway or below due to the battery’s nature, where the maximum bounce happens when the energy is halfway or above halfway.

Battery Drop Test: True or Not?

From here, we can learn that the bouncy nature of the battery has nothing to do whether the battery is dead or not. After all, all batteries will bounce whether they are one hundred percent or only ninety-percent or it’s only fifty percent. However, it is a fact that they have a bouncy nature before they are connected to electricity. So when a battery bounces, one thing is for clear: that the battery is still brand new.

When a battery no longer bounces, it is because the battery has been used for a while. This is because the molecules inside the outer layer finally align with each other after they have touched electricity, creating a ceramic-like layer that does not absorb any bounce. This fact is a definite fact that is not false.