A battery...?

Question

If you were to cut a regular battery in half, what would it look like?

P.s. photos are welcome!

What I mean by a regular battery is like a double A battery you would put in a CD player or something. Not like a car battery.

Answer 1

I cut lots of batteries in half when I was young. It's not particularly dangerous as long as you just talking about alkaline or carbon batteries. The chemicals used in these types of batteries are not considered hazardous.
Basically, there is the metal container that holds the electrolyte and is the negative connection to the battery. There is the electrolyte inside which is a thick paste, then the positive connection which is a rod in the middle and connects to the center connection of top of the battery.
If you cut one is half, do it by hand. A power saw would tend to throw some of the material around. Keep the material contained. While not toxic, it can be irritating and you certainly don't want to get it in your eyes. Wash your hands and work space afterwards. Since there is nothing hazardous in an alkaline cell you can dispose of it in regular trash unless local regulations prohibit this.
I couldn't find an exploded view of a typical cell on the web or I would list the link.

Answer 2

Don't try it! Depends on what you are calling a "regular" battery. Carbon/Zinc are just sort of like a tin can with a copper rod in the center and Zinc wrapped around it. There are several drawings on the battery packs of some brands. Check your local store's battery display.