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National Battery Day

History · February 18

National Battery Day looks at the battery, the small store of chemical energy that powers remotes, phones, flashlights and cars.

National Battery Day falls on Thursday, February 18, 2027. That is 114 days away.

A battery is a package of stored chemical energy that turns into electricity when a circuit is closed. Inside, two different materials sit on either side of an electrolyte, and the reaction between them pushes electrons through whatever you have plugged in.

Most people only think about batteries when one runs out. The remote stops answering, the smoke alarm chirps at night, the flashlight glows a weak orange. Then comes the drawer search, which usually turns up a few loose cells of unknown age and one that is definitely a different size.

The variety is larger than the drawer suggests. There are the familiar cylinders in AA and AAA sizes, the flat coin cells in watches and car key fobs, the rectangular nine volt with its two snap terminals, and the rechargeable lithium ion packs tucked inside phones and laptops. A car battery is the same basic idea, scaled up to turn over an engine.

Marking the day can be practical. Testing what is in the drawer, labeling the dead ones and sorting by size makes the next chirp at night a quicker fix. Curious people can also build a simple lemon or potato battery, which shows the chemistry plainly, using two different metals and a piece of fruit. The light it produces is faint, but it is real.

Used batteries, especially rechargeable and lithium ones, should not go loose into household trash. Many hardware stores and local recycling programs collect them, and taping the terminals before drop off keeps them from touching.

Ways to celebrate

• Sort the battery drawer by size and set aside the dead ones.
• Try making a lemon battery with a copper coin and a zinc nail.
• Look for a battery recycling drop off at a local store.
• Check the batteries in your smoke alarms and flashlights.

Dates

All national days on February 18

Also on February 18

• National Drink Wine Day
• National Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day
• Pluto Day

Categories: History days