AA Batteries heating up during severe hail storm.

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of AA batteries heating up during a severe hail storm. Participants explore potential causes for the overheating, considering factors related to the environment, clothing materials, and the condition of the batteries themselves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant recounts an incident where AA batteries became extremely hot during a hail storm, prompting a question about the cause of the heating.
  • Another participant suggests that the clothing worn by the individual could have contained conductive materials, which might have increased conductivity when wet, potentially causing the batteries to heat up.
  • A clarification indicates that the individual was indoors and did not get wet, which may affect the previous hypothesis regarding clothing conductivity.
  • One participant asserts that the only way for the batteries to heat up would be if their terminals were shorted, implying that external factors related to the storm are unlikely to be the cause.
  • Another participant proposes that damage to the insulation of one battery could have led to a short circuit with another battery, suggesting a possible mechanical cause for the heating.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the cause of the battery heating, with some attributing it to clothing conductivity and others suggesting mechanical damage to the batteries. There is no consensus on the definitive cause.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the possibility of omitted details or changes in the story over time, which may affect the understanding of the incident.

Phill123
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Once during a severe hail storm (it lasted a few minutes and looked like it had snowed everywhere),
my friend starting jumping around as if something was burning him, and he pulled 2 AA batteries out of his pocket and threw them outside. They were really hot and quickly melted a hole in the hail/snow where they fell.

There was nothing in his pockets except the 2 batteries.

I thought there would be a simple science based answer to this but when I asked somebody quite knowledgeable previously I got looked at like an idiot.

I have wondered about this question on and off since it happened 10 years ago, and have never had an answer.
Maybe someone here can explain what caused these batteries to heat up?
Was it anything to do with the storm?

Thanks,

Phill
 
Science news on Phys.org
It could be that whatever clothing he was wearing had a high content of metals or other electrically conducting substance.
When dry the conductivity would be there but quite low, but added water could increase it a lot, this providing enough current to heat things up considerably.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: davenn
I forgot to mention we were indoors so he didn't get wet. He moved out the door to throw them as he didn't want to burn the carpet
 
Phill123 said:
I forgot to mention we were indoors so he didn't get wet. He moved out the door to throw them as he didn't want to burn the carpet

there's nothing in a storm that could cause that ...
you need to look at the material and what else may have been in his pockets with the batteries

The ONLY way the batteries could have heated up is if their terminals were being shorted out

EDIT ... just noticed you said 10 yrs ago ... I suspect the story has changed somewhat
and details have been omitted / forgotten with the passage of timeDave
 
Thanks for the answer. I'm confident i have the details correct still,
however i agree you are most likely correct that it must have been the fabric conducting, and the storm a coincidence.
There was certainly nothing else in his pocket.
 
Its quite possible that the insulation on one cell was damaged and that allowed the other cell to short the first. The insulation might have been damaged by dropping the cell of similar. Its not hard to do.
 

Similar threads

UPS, Marine Battery, as Sump Pump backup
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
Take a stab at it what do you think? heat element/battery
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Implausible multiple failures in my gas central heating system
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
High School Infrared Detectors & The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
  • · Replies 152 ·
6
Replies
152
Views
11K
Chemically regenerating my auto's catalytic converter?
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
10K
Research question about burning metals and their flashes and colors
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
6K
Atmospheric Heating from Meteorite Impact
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Why can’t decay heat be harnessed to safely shutdown a nuclear reactor?
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
11K
Can electric vehicles have battery packs exchanged at gas stations?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
High School My paraphrased explanation of the Twin Paradox
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
5K