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by Answerbag Staff on February 7th, 2010

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What are laptop computer batteries made of?

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  • by J T Barett on February 7th, 2010

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    Professionally Researched. (What's this?)

    First introduced in the 1980s, laptop computers have evolved, growing lighter and more capable. Portability means battery power is critical to a laptop's usefulness. Along with other hardware advances, laptop batteries have gone through many changes.

    Description

    Laptop computers get their power from a rechargeable battery pack when not plugged in to a wall outlet. The pack contains several cells contained in a rugged plastic case. The cells are based on standard battery types, such as the AA.

    Battery Management

    Since battery life is important to a laptop computer user, many laptop battery packs contain management electronics. The electronics continuously monitor battery power levels and lets the laptop fine-tune its energy consumption to maximize battery life.

    Nickel-Cadmium

    A battery chemistry that dates back to the 1930s, nickel-cadmium's (NiCad) low cost and good energy capacity made them an early favorite for laptop computers. Battery manufacturers created new kinds of rechargeable batteries, however, and in 2010, few portable computers use NiCads.

    Nickel Metal Hydride

    Though chemically similar to NiCads, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries have improved safety and power capacity. Like NiCads, they suffer from a memory effect that degrades performance unless the battery is used completely before recharging.

    Lithium-Ion

    Another important rechargeable battery used for notebook computers, lithium-ion (Li-Ion) has many of NiMH's advantages with fewer drawbacks. They keep their charge better if unused for long periods and don't have the memory effect problem.

    Source:

    Laptop Travel: Laptop Battery Types

    BusinessWeek: Portable PCs: A Weighty Evolution; Steve Hamm

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