1. Battery Identification

Battery identification means determining the type, voltage, capacity, and polarity of a battery.

Important points to check:

Battery type: Lead-acid, lithium-ion, Ni-Cd, etc.

Rated voltage: For example, 1.5 V, 6 V, 12 V.

Capacity: Measured in Ah (ampere-hour).

Polarity: Identify the positive (+) and negative (−) terminals.

Physical condition: Check for cracks, leakage, corrosion, swelling, or damaged terminals.

  1. Battery Testing

A multimeter is commonly used to test a battery.

Procedure:

  1. Set the multimeter to DC voltage (V⎓).
  2. Touch the red probe to the positive (+) terminal.
  3. Touch the black probe to the negative (−) terminal.
  4. Read the voltage displayed.
  5. Compare the reading with the battery’s rated voltage.

A significantly low voltage may indicate a discharged or faulty battery.

  1. Battery Connection

Series Connection

Connect the positive terminal of one battery to the negative terminal of the next.

Voltage increases.

Example: Two 12 V batteries in series = 24 V.

Parallel Connection

Connect positive to positive and negative to negative.

Voltage remains the same.

Capacity increases.

Example: Two 12 V, 10 Ah batteries in parallel = 12 V, 20 Ah.