Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Battery charge, charge capacity and the lifetime before the battery is exhausted or the battery lifetime between charges are all key aspects for any battery or cell and any system or equipment using them. We use batteries to power many of our electrical and electronic items and circuits. Torches, radios, mobile phones, and a heap of other things so these aspects are very important
One of key factors we need to know when using these portable items is the battery lifetime - in other words how long will the battery last before all the charge has gone.
When we look at the datasheets or sometimes on the product itself we can often find a rating for the battery charge capacity which is usually stated in terms of milliamp hours or sometimes in amp hours if the battery is large.
This figure gives an indication of how much charge the battery holds and how long it can provide a certain current.
For example if a battery has a capacity of 2500mAh then it can provide 2500 milliamps or 2.5 amps for an hour. Similarly it can provide 1250 milliamps for two hours and so forth.
It is easy to develop a formula for this: battery life = charge capacity/current. This gives a basic estimate of the lifetime of the battery before it needs replacement or recharging.
However the figures we can calculate are only a best estimate because of some real world issues including internal resistance, battery age, temperature and so forth.
Battery charge figures can also be useful when seeing whether a powerbank will recharge of mobile phone or other device. The powerbank should have a charge capability greater than that of the mobile phone or device to be charged.
It should be remembered that again there are some losses and not all the estimated charge can be carried over. Charging efficiency is less than 100% as some power is lost as heat, etc. The powerbank may not be fully charged or it may have aged and it might not be able to hold its stated maximum charge.
More information about battery charge, charge capacity and lifetime: electronics-notes.com/articles/radio/radio-receiver-sensitivity/what-is-sinad-signal-to-noise-and-distortion.php
Check out the Electronics Notes website: electronics-notes.com
Please don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/electronicsnotes?sub_confirmation=1
Battery charge, charge capacity and the lifetime before the battery is exhausted or the battery lifetime between charges are all key aspects for any battery or cell and any system or equipment using them. We use batteries to power many of our electrical and electronic items and circuits. Torches, radios, mobile phones, and a heap of other things so these aspects are very important
One of key factors we need to know when using these portable items is the battery lifetime - in other words how long will the battery last before all the charge has gone.
When we look at the datasheets or sometimes on the product itself we can often find a rating for the battery charge capacity which is usually stated in terms of milliamp hours or sometimes in amp hours if the battery is large.
This figure gives an indication of how much charge the battery holds and how long it can provide a certain current.
For example if a battery has a capacity of 2500mAh then it can provide 2500 milliamps or 2.5 amps for an hour. Similarly it can provide 1250 milliamps for two hours and so forth.
It is easy to develop a formula for this: battery life = charge capacity/current. This gives a basic estimate of the lifetime of the battery before it needs replacement or recharging.
However the figures we can calculate are only a best estimate because of some real world issues including internal resistance, battery age, temperature and so forth.
Battery charge figures can also be useful when seeing whether a powerbank will recharge of mobile phone or other device. The powerbank should have a charge capability greater than that of the mobile phone or device to be charged.
It should be remembered that again there are some losses and not all the estimated charge can be carried over. Charging efficiency is less than 100% as some power is lost as heat, etc. The powerbank may not be fully charged or it may have aged and it might not be able to hold its stated maximum charge.
More information about battery charge, charge capacity and lifetime: electronics-notes.com/articles/radio/radio-receiver-sensitivity/what-is-sinad-signal-to-noise-and-distortion.php
Check out the Electronics Notes website: electronics-notes.com
Please don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/electronicsnotes?sub_confirmation=1
