Why do people put batteries in the refrigerator?
Esther Takeuchi, chair of the battery division of The Electrochemical Society, and vice president of research and development for Wilson Great Batch Limited, replies Their intention is to try to make them last longer prior to use. I think everybody has had the experience of putting a bunch of batteries in a flashlight and then putting it in the trunk of their car, and they go back when they need the flashlight and it doesn t work. Because just on standing, batteries actually deplete themselves. So the idea is that there s a certain amount of chemical inside it s a chemical reaction that s taking place in the battery and the chemicals basically get used up. They basically just run out of active material. Most chemical reactions are affected by temperature, and the lower the temperature the slower the chemical reaction. So what people are trying to do is slow down the self-depletion mechanisms of the batteries by keeping them cold. In general, it does extend the battery s life. Whether t
