🔍 Key Concepts

• Effect of connecting a load or charging circuit on a battery’s terminal voltage • What happens to terminal voltage when a battery is overloaded versus when it is charging normally • Whether battery polarity reversal would still show a normal-looking 12‑volt reading

💭 Think About

• Compare the open-circuit voltage to the voltage with the charging circuit closed. Is the change large or small, and what does that usually indicate about load or overload? • Think about what you would expect the voltage to do if the battery’s polarity were actually reversed. Would you still see a normal 12‑volt range, or would something else be noticeably wrong? • In normal operation, when you connect a healthy 12‑volt battery to a proper charging circuit, should the voltage tend to rise, fall, or stay about the same compared to open circuit?

✅ Before You Answer

• Estimate normal 12‑V battery voltages for a partially charged but healthy battery (around 12.2–12.6 V) • Check whether a small voltage drop (from 12.4 to 12.2 V) is more consistent with severe overload or with normal loading/charging • Consider if polarity reversal would usually be detected by instruments/fuses before you could read a normal 12‑V value