How to Explain Car Battery Chargers

A battery charger is an essential piece of equipment to have in the garage if you like to repair and maintain your own vehicles. Batteries going dead is simply a reality of vehicle ownership. Improper use, a problem in the car's electrical systems, cold weather or old age can all make a battery lose its charge. If you're going to have a charger, it is essential that those in your household understand how it works and how to use it.

Instructions

1

Explain how the battery in a car works before moving on to the charger. Point out the negative and positive terminals on the battery and the cables attached to them. Explain that the liquid in the battery is a charged electrolyte solution that reacts with the lead plates to create electricity.

2

Draw a diagram of the way an electrical charge flows from a car battery. Basically, electricity flows out of the positive terminal of the battery to provide power to the car. The alternator provides a DC flow back to the battery to help keep the battery's charge up. However, there is still a gradual loss of power over time, and once a battery no longer has enough potential energy stored in it, you need to use the charger.

3

Illustrate on your diagram how the flow is forced backward through the circuit that includes the battery when charging. The electricity restores the battery so that electricity can be generated again. Mention that before a battery charger is used, the battery must be topped up with distilled water so that there is a sufficient electrolyte solution to facilitate the reaction in the battery.

4

Show your student how to connect the battery charger to the battery. Point out that if the battery is being charged in the car, the negative cable can be clamped to the car frame or to the negative terminal, but if you're charging the battery out of the car, you need to connect the positive charger wire to the positive terminal and the negative to the negative terminal. Demonstrate that the positive and negative terminals should be clearly marked, but also that black should indicate the negative terminal connection and red the positive.

5

Point out the various settings on the battery charger. Many chargers can be used to boost a battery as well as charge one, so it is important that it is on the correct setting before you leave the battery to charge.