🔍 Key Concepts

• Nominal cell voltage for different battery chemistries (lead-acid vs nickel-cadmium vs alkaline) • Typical use of nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries in portable equipment and what voltage single cells usually have • Difference between a single cell voltage and the total voltage of a multi-cell battery pack

💭 Think About

• Think about common rechargeable Ni-Cd batteries you may have seen (for example, older AA-size rechargeables). What voltage is usually printed on the side? • Compare: lead-acid cells (like in a car battery) are about 2 volts per cell. Is nickel-cadmium usually higher, lower, or about the same per cell? • Which of the choices seems more typical for a single cell rather than a whole battery pack or multiple cells in series?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be sure you’re thinking about one cell, not a full multi-cell battery • Recall that standard alkaline AA batteries are about 1.5 volts – is Ni-Cd the same or slightly different? • Eliminate any voltages that are more typical of two or more cells in series rather than a single cell