One, there are made up of a collection of more than one cell. This multi cell arrangement is what defines an alkaline battery for what it is and it is usually a disposable battery. While the rechargeable incarnations are becoming more and more popular nowadays, the multi cell alkaline batteries were always made in mind for single use only. Within these cells, the negative anode terminal is always made up of zinc powder, which is used because it permits more surface area for an enhanced rate of reaction, which means there will be grater electron flow and thus higher voltage output. Also, the positive cathode terminal is made up of the material called manganese which is in oxide form. The half reactions that form in between the zinc and the manganese oxide is the one that allows the current to flow and this determines the voltage rating of the battery.

The capacity of a normal alkaline battery can be said to be either similar to or even greater than a zinc chloride cell due to the special ingredients used inside the matrix of the battery. The materials are also much purer and much denser than the ones used in the zinc chloride counterparts, which means they take up much less space within the battery. The level of efficiency and space within the battery allows it to produce more than 3 to 5 times the voltage levels of the counterpart battery, mentioned in this paragraph and these figures have been known to be higher. Its capacity also is determined by the load, which is the rating of the appliance that is used for. For example, a digital music player has a load of about 1500 mA, which will effect the output of the battery because of its 3000 mAh load at low power. Heavy load appliances like stereos will tend to drain the battery much, much faster, so watch what you use these batteries for.

The AA battery is most commonly used for things like small flashlights, small appliances. The rule of the thumb is that the size of the battery should determine what kind of appliance it is used for and there are many sorts of sizes. From the tiny AAA size batteries which are popularly used to power low load appliances like low power lights and remote keyboards, there are the medium sized AA battery and the very large C and D cells, which are normally used to power really very high load appliances like portable stereos and high powered flashlights, which will require a much larger capacity.

These are some of the aspects of AA batteries that you should know about when buying them. While this may not be extremely pertinent information when it comes to your purchasing decision, it is general information that might help you make an informed decision when troubleshooting a problem associate with alkaline batteries.