🔍 Key Concepts

• Battery behavior under heavy load vs. no load • What a voltmeter can and cannot tell you about a battery • Difference between state of charge, polarity, and age

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: What changes about the battery’s voltage when a strong electrical load is applied? • Which of these options can be detected directly by measuring voltage at the terminals while current is flowing? • Which option(s) would require other information besides just a voltage measurement?

✅ Before You Answer

• Remember that polarity is about which terminal is positive and negative – do you need a heavy load to see that? • Think about whether age can be read from a single voltage measurement. • Consider how a weak or discharged battery’s voltage under load will compare to a healthy, fully charged battery.