Battery (electricity)

:For other uses, see battery (disambiguation).

Cell vs. battery

In a technical sense, the distinction may be made between

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• an electrical battery, a device for creating or storing electrical energy composed of several similar (usually identical) cells that are connected together, versus
• an electrical cell, a single such unit, possibly one cell in a (strict-terminology) battery of multiple cells or possibly the entire device.

That distinction, however, is considered in most contexts (other than the expression dry cell), and in current English usage it is more common to call a single cell used on its own a battery than a cell.

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An example is a double A (AA) battery. Even though most people call it a battery, in reality it is a cell (as are the other lettered designations although one often hears the more-correct "D cell" or "C cell"). A car battery is a true "battery" because it uses multiple cells inside of it that are connected together in series, thus forming a battery. Similarly, a 9-volt battery is a true battery as it must contain more than one cell. Multiple batteries or cells may also be refered to as a battery pack as a set of multi-cell 12 V batteries in an electric vehicle.

Related Topics:
Battery pack - Electric vehicle

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