Batteries and
Bulbs
Batteries and Bulbs
Discover and
Record how a
battery can be
used to light a
bulb.
D-cell vs C-cell Batteries
Two students, Wayne and Bill were discussing a recent flashlight purchase. “I
love the Mag-Lite flashlights and last night I purchased one,” said Wayne. “I
couldn’t decide whether to buy the one that uses two D-cell batteries or the one
that uses two C-cells. I chose the one that uses C-cells because I noticed that
the batteries only cost 75 cents while the D-cells were one dollar a piece,”
“That was silly,” said Bill, “The D-Cells are so much bigger and so that
flashlight would be so much brighter. You’ll pay less for the batteries but the
light will be so much dimmer than if you used D-cells.”
“I think the different batteries would create equal brightness in the bulbs,”
says Wayne, “all of the batteries say 1.5 V on the side. Shouldn’t they be the
same brightness if they have the same number on the side?”
Which student do you think is making the most sense? Bill who says the
D-cell batteries will make the bulb shine brighter, or Wayne who thinks they will
have the same brightness? Support your answer.
Does the C or the D cell cause a single
light to be lit brighter?
Can either cell light more than one
bulb?
In what ways are the cells different? In
what ways are they the same?
What about combining batteries
Never let a conductor touch both
terminal leads
Short
Circuit
Be sure there is at least one bulb
between the terminals
What is it about the battery that allows
only a certain number of bulbs to be lit?
In what ways are the two cells different?
D-Cell
C-Cell
C vs D cell Power
Work Done by C and D Cells
What about
AA-cells
and
AAA-cells?
Power for AA vs AAA
Work Done by AA vs AAA
AA-Cell
AAA-Cell
So What’s the Dif?
D-Cell
C-Cell
D-cell vs C-cell Batteries
Two students, Wayne and Bill were discussing a recent flashlight purchase. “I
love the Mag-Lite flashlights and last night I purchased one,” said Wayne. “I
couldn’t decide whether to buy the one that uses two D-cell batteries or the one
that uses two C-cells. I chose the one that uses C-cells because I noticed that
the batteries only cost 75 cents while the D-cells were one dollar a piece,”
“That was silly,” said Bill, “The D-Cells are so much bigger and so that
flashlight would be so much brighter. You’ll pay less for the batteries but the
light will be so much dimmer than if you used D-cells.”
“I think the different batteries would create equal brightness in the bulbs,”
says Wayne, “all of the batteries say 1.5 V on the side. Shouldn’t they be the
same brightness if they have the same number on the side?”
Which student do you think is making the most sense? Bill who says the
D-cell batteries will make the bulb shine brighter, or Wayne who thinks they will
have the same brightness? Support your answer.
Energy
Energy
Energy
Cost per
Provided Provided Provided
kWh
(Joules)
(W-h)
(kWh)
Type of
Battery
Cost of
Battery
D cell
$1.58
61,776
17.16
0.01716
$92.07
C cell
$1.50
32,033
8.898
0.00898
$167.04
AA cell
$0.58
9,270
2.575
0.002575 $225.24
0.9085
0.000908
$781.51
5
AAA cell
$0.71
3,271
7 ¢ per kWh!
How much does it cost to toast a bagel?
Typical Toaster
Power = 1,000 Watts
Time = 3min = 180 sec
Energy = Power x Time = 180,000 Joules = 0.05
kwH
Com Ed rate 7¢ / kWh
Cost = 0.05kWh x (7¢ / kWh)
Cost = 0.35¢
How much does it cost to toast a bagel?
0.35¢ = $0.0035
3 x $1.58 = $4.74
6 x $1.50 = $9.00
20 x $0.58 = $11.60
39 x $0.71 = $27.69