Find the energy contained in standard battery sizes
The table below shows the battery volume for cell sizes AAA, AA, C, and D. The volume does not change with the type of battery, but the weight does, as shown here.
| Battery Cell Size |
Volume ml |
Alkaline Weight g |
Carbon-Zinc Weight g |
NiCad Weight g |
NiMH Weight g |
Lithium Ion Weight g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | 3.9 | 12 | 9.7 | 11 | 12 | |
| AA | 8.3 | 24 | 19 | 29 | 26 | 24 |
| C | 26.5 | 65 | 48 | 85 | 82 | |
| D | 55.8 | 135 | 98 | 200 | 170 |
Energy storage in AAA batteries
| Battery Type |
Avg. voltage During discharge |
milli-Amp hours (mAh) |
Watt-hours Wh |
Joules J |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkaline Long-life |
1.225 | 1150 | 1.41 | 5071 |
| Carbon-zinc | 1.1 | 320 | 0.35 | 1268 |
| Nickel-Cadmium | 1.2 | 300 | 0.36 | 1296 |
| NiMH | 1.2 | 800 | 0.96 | 3456 |
Energy storage in AA batteries
| Battery Type |
Avg. voltage During discharge |
milli-Amp hours (mAh) |
Watt-hours Wh |
Joules J |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkaline Long-life |
1.225 | 2122 | 2.60 | 9360 |
| Carbon-zinc | 1.1 | 591 | 0.65 | 2340 |
| Nickel-Cadmium | 1.2 | 1000 | 1.20 | 4320 |
| NiMH | 1.2 | 2100 | 2.52 | 9072 |
| Lithium Ion | 3.6 | 853 | 3.1 | 11050 |
Energy storage in C batteries
| Battery Type |
Avg. voltage During discharge |
milli-Amp hours (mAh) |
Watt-hours Wh |
Joules J |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkaline Long-life |
1.225 | 7800 | 9.56 | 34398 |
| Carbon-zinc | 1.1 | 2172 | 2.39 | 8600 |
| Nickel-Cadmium | 1.2 | 2500 | 3.00 | 10800 |
| NiMH | 1.2 | 4500 | 5.40 | 19440 |
Energy storage in D batteries
| Battery Type |
Avg. voltage During discharge |
milli-Amp hours (mAh) |
Watt-hours Wh |
Joules J |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkaline Long-life |
1.225 | 17000 | 20.83 | 74970 |
| Carbon-zinc | 1.1 | 4733 | 5.21 | 18743 |
| Nickel-Cadmium | 1.2 | 5000 | 6.00 | 21600 |
| NiMH | 1.2 | 9500 | 11.40 | 41040 |
Lithium-Thionyl Chloride — Special Mention
Although non-rechargeable, Lithium-Thionyl Chloride has the highest energy storage per kilogram of any battery type. Lithium-Thionyl Chloride cells do not supply high discharge currents, typically 1/10 the current of other cell types. However, they last for 20 years, and withstand temperature extremes of -55 to +150 degrees C. For more information on Lithium-Thionyl Chloride batteries, contact Tadiran Battery Co.
| Lithium-Thionyl Chloride (non-rechargeable) |
Avg. voltage During discharge |
milli-Amp hours (mAh) |
Watt-hours Wh |
Joules J |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA cells | 3.6 | 2400 | 8.64 | 31104 |
| C cells | 3.6 | 8500 | 30.60 | 110160 |
| D cells | 3.6 | 19000 | 68.40 | 246240 |
Finally, if you would like a D-size battery that can supply 20 amperes of current for a short time (5 seconds), that will last for 10 years, check out the Ultracapacitor at Maxwell Technologies Inc. It is not really a battery at all, it is a 350-farad capacitor rated 2.5 volts. Yes, we said farads, not microfarads. As such it can store 277 Joules at 2.5 volts. This is not a great amount of energy storage, hence the limited discharge time. However, it can deliver more peak current than a lead-acid battery of the same size, and it recharges easily more than 500,000 times. The cost compares favorably with other D-size rechargeable batteries, but the cost per Watt-hour is not too good at $195.