# Batteries- Why a Size "C"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576 "2010-11-22T20:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/21 "2010-11-23T05:32:52Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Bah! Find me another battery type that’s as fun to lick! You owe me a new keyboard. Or, the batteries come in very useful as a firestarter composed of steel wool and a 9V battery. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/22 "2010-11-23T09:04:43Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > 😕 A walking grunting truffle pig is just a pink toy I bought in a department store today. It just walks across the floor and grunts I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/23 "2010-11-23T09:06:36Z")
Well, a “C” is IMO just the right size. A nice handful, not too troublesome for the woman, and… What? Oh, you said “batteries”? :smack: With a double “t”, not with a single “r” and a double “s”? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/24 "2010-11-23T12:43:28Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’ve mentioned this before, but outside of smoke detectors there’s not much of a call for 9 volt batteries nowadays. Which is funny, because I think they’re made up of 6 AAAA cells. Which reminds me, this is pretty funny: https://www.youtube.com/embed/TBQDGvhr3kE?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/25 "2010-11-23T13:50:31Z")
Said pig is happily grunting and walking. Yet to find a truffle in Kensington though. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/26 "2010-11-23T14:27:47Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’ve mentioned this before, but outside of smoke detectors there’s not much of a call for 9 volt batteries nowadays. Pffft.l Remind me to show you my guitar pedal board. Every pedal is stuffed with a 9V battery. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/27 "2010-11-23T15:38:56Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > A walking grunting truffle pig is just a pink toy I bought in a department store today. > > It just walks across the floor and grunts I guess. It sounds like it has a couple of servos, then. Those would benefit from the extra charge that a C-cell has. On a semi-related note, what pisses me off about most D-cells you buy is that they are really C-cells with extra padding. Radio Shack is the only vendor I know of that had real, actual D-cells. I just hate having to give my address to buy batteries. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/28 "2010-11-23T16:50:46Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Isn’t 5V DC the standard for integrated circuits? Why no standardized 5 volt battery? A lot of electronics run on 3.3, 2.5, or 1.8 volts these days. 5 volts is ancient stuff. The battery voltage is determined by the chemical makeup of the cell. Carbon zinc and alkaline batteries are both about 1.5 volts per cell. Lead acid is about 2.1 volts per cell. Nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride are both about 1.2 volts per cell. If you need more volts, you stack the cells. A 6 volt battery is just four 1.5 volt cells stacked together. A 9 volt battery is six of these cells. A 12 volt car battery is six lead acid cells. Four nickel cadmium batteries will give you 4.8 volts which is pretty close to 5, but will probably be advertised as a 6 volt cell since nickel cadmium rechargeables typically replace carbon zinc and alkalines of the same size and configuration, and four of those would be 6 volts. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/29 "2010-11-23T18:08:07Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I’ve mentioned this before, but outside of smoke detectors there’s not much of a call for 9 volt batteries nowadays. You must not have young children. Untold numbers of remote controlled cars use a 9V to power the transmitters. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576/30 "2010-11-24T04:37:22Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Bah! Find me another battery type that’s as fun to lick! Nice to know there are other weirdos out there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/batteries-why-a-size-c/561576.md?page=1)