Do alkaline-manganese batteries really last longer than zinc-carbon?
Yes, they do. The alkaline-manganese battery has nearly twice the energy contentof a zinc-carbon battery of the same size, even at higher loads. This battery is particularly suited for continuous discharge. For low power applications (such as transistor radios) or applications using discontinuous discharge regimes (e.g. flashlights), the zinc-carbon battery still represents an interesting and inexpensivealternative. The on-load period should preferably not exceed five minutes at higher loads. This limitation does not apply for the more expensive alkaline-manganese batteries.
