Q1.
Sometimes you may come across a device in which the cells are placed side by side. Then, how are the terminals of the cells connected?
Answer
They are still connected + of one cell to – of the next — but the joining is done by a hidden metal piece instead of the cells touching each other.
If you look carefully inside the battery compartment you will usually see:
- A thick wire or metal strip running across, which connects the positive terminal of one cell to the negative terminal of the next.
- '+' and '–' symbols printed inside the compartment, one pair for each cell, to help you place the cells the right way round.
Why it happens: The rule for making a battery never changes — the + terminal of one cell must reach the – terminal of the next. When the cells lie side by side and cannot touch end to end, a metal strip does the joining for them. This is why a remote or a toy stops working if even one cell is put in the wrong way round.
Check it yourself: Open the battery compartment of a TV remote (with permission) and find the metal strip. Notice that the printed '+' and '–' marks for the two cells point in opposite directions — that is the + to – rule at work.