2007-01-03 22:14:22 · 8 answers · asked by lakshmi1962 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
When your engine is running it is turning a generator and charging the battery. The battery is mainly used for turning the starter motor. After that, the majority of the electricity used by the car is generated by the alternator.
This is why you use more petrol driving at night. Your engine must work harder to generate enough electricity to power the headlights. If your battery goes flat you can usually start the car by rolling it first (to turn the alternator and generate a little electricity, hopefully enough to turn the starter motor and get the engine started). Driving without no radio on, no lights, no power steering, no ABS etc can charge your battery up again but the life time of the battery will steadily decrease.
2007-01-03 22:17:20 · answer #1 · answered by Mawkish 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The only time there is any drain on the battery is at startup, or running accessories with the engine off.
While the engine is running, the alternator charges the battery back to full, then is cut out by the voltage regulator (otherwise you'd overcharge the battery and risk an explosion).
Cold weather, excessive drain, and age can all kill a lead-acid battery.
2007-01-03 22:31:19 · answer #2 · answered by Grendle 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It can be used for a long time in a car because the alternator continuously charges the battery as the car's engine runs.
2007-01-03 22:22:21 · answer #3 · answered by crawler 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A car has an alternator that charges the battery as that engine runs.
2007-01-10 08:17:13 · answer #4 · answered by nick w 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can be used for a long time because it has a lot of capacity compared to other typical consumer batteries. Amp hours are the rating you look for when you want length of service.
2007-01-11 13:52:22 · answer #5 · answered by KirksWorld 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all it is used for is to start up the car and to kepp the radio on
(that doesn't require much but the reason it pack a punch when you put your little fingers in there is because of the choke aka solenoid, so it isn't used as much as you probiably thought)
and also because of the fact that it isn't used as often the alkaline acids are building up electrolites overtime
(while with common batteries we use alot more the acids in them hardly have time to build up any electrolites)
2007-01-04 07:38:07 · answer #6 · answered by macgyver 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the alternator recharges the battery, battery is only used for starting your motor.
2007-01-11 15:38:10 · answer #7 · answered by sammy_the_diver 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the battery gets repeatedly recharged by the engine when you run it
2007-01-07 21:57:12 · answer #8 · answered by hanumistee 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋