06-10-2012, 05:20 PM
maH on batteries
WHAT IS maH on batteries.docx (Size: 12.04 KB / Downloads: 24)
WHAT IS maH on batteries?
Short answer-a 2850 mAh will last quite a bit longer than an 1850 mAh.
Long answer
mAh stads for "Milliamp hours" Many flashlight bulbs use around 500 mAh, which means that in one hour, they will use up 500 milliamps of electricity. A standard double A battery ("AA") is 1.5 volts. Many flashlight bulbs require 2 batteries to operate...
So lets make an example bulb. It's a 3 V 500 mAh bulb. With two 2850 mAh AA batteries, that bulb will shine roughly 11.4 hours before needing a charge (2850 mAh times 2 batteries is 5700 mAh total. Divide that by the bulbs' 500 mAh and you get 11.4 hours) With a couple of 1850 mAh, the same bulb would only shine for 7.4 hours. As a battery gets close to dying the bulb will dim. Picture the battery like your lungs. Take a full breath, the battery is charged. Breath out at a constant rate, and when you get close to the end of your lung capacity you will start to push less and less air until you are just *barely* blowing any air out. That's kindof what happens with a low battery (EE's will probably blast me on that one, but that's the best way to describe it to someone who doesn't feel like reading a term paper on electrons)