Car battery Definition and 67 Threads

An automotive battery or car battery is a rechargeable battery that is used to start a motor vehicle. Its main purpose is to provide an electric current to the electric-powered starting motor, which in turn starts the chemically-powered internal combustion engine that actually propels the vehicle. Once the engine is running, power for the car's electrical systems is still supplied by the battery, with the alternator charging the battery as demands increase or decrease.

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  1. E

    Car Battery Rapidly Losing Voltage Difference

    I'm attempting to figure out why my car isn't starting. I've reseated all the grounds and made sure the ground connections were clean and bare. I've cleaned the battery terminals and clamps with a wire brush as there was some corrosion on the terminals. I charged the battery two days ago due...
  2. X

    Car battery & pool sump pump Amperage/life question

    Alright, so here goes, and by the way, this isn't homework, just in case you're wondering. Question 1: So, i have a 12vdc 500amp battery/car inverter and a 12vdc 11amp sump pump. If I wire it up, approximately how long will they last? Question 2: Also, I have a power inverter for my car, can I...
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    Electrical DIY solar panels to charge a car battery

    I've found some resources online about building your own solar panels. The basic premise I've found is this: solar cells -> diode -> battery -> inverter -> mocha machine First off, if anyone has done this before, any general advice would be appreciated. More specifically, I need someone to...
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    Car battery, how much can it do

    I am looking for extremely basic information that anyone could understand, as I know nothing of electricity. My friend wants to use two automotive alternators to charge two 12-volt car batteries. These batteries are not in a car. He just wants to run a few shop lights and a compressor. I...
  5. C

    Car Battery and 120vac 100 watt bulb

    Can a 12 volt car battery illuminate a 120vac 100 watt bulb ? I not sure if a bulb that is rated for 120 volts can still be powered with a battery pushing 12 volts. I think the 100 watt bulb only needs 1 amp to be illuminated with the 120 volts. I'm still trying to figure out the basics...
  6. T

    Charging a car battery with dry cells?

    If eight flashlight batteries in series have an emf of about 12 V, similar to that of a car battery, could they be used to start a car with a dead battery? Why or why not? My friend posed to me this question and then I just sort of stumbled and was dumbfounded. I answered it by saying the...
  7. W

    Question about the output of a car battery in amps

    Hi. I joined to ask this one question..but who knows maybe I will stick around and learn other things..lol... I bought an electric 12v anchor winch which is designed to be used with a 12v car battery on a boat. I intend to use it to hoist my bicycles to the ceiling of my garage. However, the...
  8. J

    3-4A too much load for a car battery?

    Hello, So I have put into motion a plan to build an LED array that scrolls letters. I've got the hardware and coded the assembly to make it happen but I have not yet purchased things such as the LED's themselves or op-amps to drive them. I have calculated that the load will be around 3-4A...
  9. M

    Electric Potential Car Battery Problem

    Homework Statement A particular 12V car battery can send a total charge of 84 A-h (ampere-hours) through a circuit, from one terminal to the other. (a) How many coulombs of charge does this represent? (b) If this entire charge undergoes a change in electric potential of 12V, how much energy is...
  10. J

    What Causes Corrosion on Car Battery Terminals?

    I know only a little about chemistry, but am curious as to what makes up the white/blue crystalized corrosion that sometimes gets into the terminals on car batteries? What reaction is happening, etc. Also, does the polarity of the terminal favor the reaction, one any more than the other + vs -...
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    How Do You Calculate Potential Difference in Car Battery Circuits?

    hi, i got this hwk today and I've answered the questions i can do, can you check the answers i have done, and also help me with the ones i can't do. thank you so much! x 1. A car battery can supply 6 000 000 J to a car headlamp while delivering 500 000 C of charge through the headlamp...
  12. M

    Car Battery Amps: Understand & Calculate for Your Vehicle

    hello, i know car battery amps range from 40 amps to whatever, i just can't understand them, the amps aren't printed on the batteries and i don't know why? i have a pretty good ideal that my car battery maybe 45 amps, what does this mean? i know the alternator produces 55 amps, if i hooked a...
  13. L

    Generating an AC waveform from a car battery

    hi all. hope everything is well. Just some advice please: want to measure the displacement of a car's shock absorber's piston. Plan on doing this using a linear variable diferential trasformer (LVDT). Those of you that are familiar with such a device, know that its chief operation is based...
  14. N

    150w inverter, 60w draw, car battery life?

    Using a 150w inverter to power the mac mini & LCD monitor in my truck camper. My Kill A Watt meter shows that the draw (on regular home power) is about 55-60 watts, or .05 KWH per hour. Can I assume that I could use this set-up for several hours, if need be, without danger of depleting my...
  15. C

    Current drawn from car battery to heat up water

    A small immersion heater can be used in a car to heat a cup of water for coffee or tea. If the heater can heat 120 mL of water from 25 C to 95 C in 8 minutes, a) approximately how much current does it draw from the car's 12-V battery, and b) what is its reistance? Assume the manufacturer's claim...
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    Can a Solar Panel Effectively Recharge a Car Battery for Frequent Restarting?

    I'm new to this forum, so I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section to post my question, but anyway, here it is: I'm looking into buying a solar panel to be permanently connected to my 12V car battery and recharge it constantly (or at least when the sun is up). I want to do this to...
  17. M

    Testing a Car Battery Charger for 6-12V Batteries

    I have a car battery charger (for 6 or 12 volt batteries), that I don't know for sure if it works or not. I want to use it for a power supply in an electrolytic cell, so I decided to test it out to see if it worked. When I hook it up and plug it in, nothing happens, the needed doesn't jump on...
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