Thesis

CHAPTER 1 The Problem and its Background Introduction A world without life is worthless. Like electronic devices, without battery it is futile and it has no use. Our generation today is very advance and technologies had already become a part of our daily lives. The use of electronic devices had become a global outbreak to all human kind especially those different devices that will help, save and gives us entertainment like cellphones, laptops, tablets, watches, flashlights for emergencies, remote control, and especially toys and many more, but those things will not work without batteries. Battery became a part of our lives as those electric devices have. It became very essential to all of us not only because it supplies energy and gives power but also it gives us satisfaction and long lasting joy depending on the life of the battery. According to the website “freedoniagroup.com/World-Batteries.html”, battery is one of the most in demand products in the world and it is still growing. Without battery our world would still be old fashioned and a lot of things will not be invented like cars. Cars don’t work without battery, the engine will not start. Another is cellphone; cellphones will not work without a power source. It will be more convenient if it works with a battery, as its source of power. Batteries are created to make life easier, to make things work and to replace electricity from power plants. Background of the Study Battery, being a source of power, is very important for machines to work, but a lot of people are facing some problems like: Some batteries are affordable but the quality is low. There also some batteries that are long lasting but the price is not very reasonable, they were overpriced. This investigatory project is aimed to give knowledge to people that consumes and are planning to buy batteries. This project is intended to examine some factors of battery such as brands and costs that will affect the longevity of its life. Setting of the Study Take the Nations for Jesus Christian Academy started as Children’s Ministry of Corpus Christi Inc. on the year 1986. On 1988, Nursery, Kinder 1, Kinder 2 (Pre –school) was started. From 1989 to 1994, the Elementary grades from Grade 1 to Grade 6 were established and on year 1995, the DECS granted the full recognition of the Pre- School and Elementary levels. On 1997, the school began operating 1st year and 2nd year High School both for SPED and regular students. On the following year 3rd year students were accepted followed by the 4th Year students in 1999. The School formally changed its name to Take the Nations for Jesus Christian Academy Foundation International Inc. - TNJCA. The recognition for complete Secondary course was granted on year 2006. The Elementary students excelled in academics and joined in different competitions while the High school students were able to enroll in different prestigious colleges and universities. There were SPED students who took 2 years in AMA College which is in partnership with the school while the others were enrolled in colleges. They all graduated successfully. This year, Take the Nations for Jesus Christian Academy Foundation Inc. has a population of 126 Students with 102 regular students and 24 SPED students, 21 teachers and 9 staff. Figure 1: Map of Take the Nations for Jesus Christian Academy Foundation International Inc. Figure 2: Map of Quezon City Purpose of the Study Battery life is the most important factor that many people are looking for in selecting a good quality battery. If its life is short, the battery is low in quality. Buying batteries like these will be a complete waste of time and money. This study is designed to give us information in selecting a good quality battery. Significance of the Study The results of this study is beneficial to the following: School Administrator. The study will help them maintain the facilities of the school by providing them a better reference in selecting the best battery. Faculty. The study will help them use their teaching materials and other gadgets much longer than before. Students. Students will be more careful in selecting batteries and it will give them additional facts about batteries. Parents. Parents will know what battery they will use in case of emergencies and also for their appliances that needs battery. Future Researchers. This study will benefit other researchers who wish to have similar studies as they can get background information from the result of this study which will serve as template to modify their research. Statement of the Problem This research project is aimed to determine a good quality battery that will give information to many people regarding the type of batteries that they are going to buy. To support the entire research project, several questions are established that would be answered during the process of the study. Specifically, the following questions aim to answer: What brand of battery lasts longer using a flashlight? Do the following factors affect the longevity of the life of each battery? Brand name of the battery Cost of the battery Number of hours used Scope and Limitations This study aims to determine what brand of battery lasts longer among Duracell, Energizer, Eveready, Maxell, Ticer, Kingever and 7-Eleven battery using the Eveready Waterproof flashlight. This research project was conducted at C.P. Kilgore Memorial Complex in Cubao, Quezon City and lasted for about 2 months. We only used AA batteries and a few brands which are stated above. Definition of terms Battery. A container consisting of one or more cells carrying an electric charge and used as a source of power. Flashlight. A small portable lamp usually powered by batteries. Brand Name. One of the brand elements which help the customers to identify and differentiate one product from another. Cost. The amount or equivalent paid or charged for something. Life. The period of duration, usefulness, or popularity of something. CHAPTER 2 The Review of Related Literature and Studies This chapter deals with the materials that will be used for this study. These are some ideas from other researchers that will help us achieve our goals to finish the whole research project. According to the article “About Batteries (Malaya 2003)” that battery is one of the most important sources of electricity. Without battery, it seems almost impossible to do anything. But, whatever the battery, it will reach a point that it will no longer be charged. It will die if you use it often. It will die if you hardly ever used it. It will die if you charge it too much. It will die if you charge it too little. We often get puzzled by announcements of new batteries that are said to offer very high energy densities, deliver 1000 charge/discharge cycle and are paper-thin. But not all of them are real. The website “batteryuniversity.com” stated that there are different types of batteries: One battery type may be designed for small size and long runtime, this pack will not last and wear out prematurely. Another battery may be built for long life, but the size is big and bulky. A third battery may provide all the desirable attributes, but the price would be too high for commercial use. According to Ahearn, (2010), there are two basic types of batteries: primary batteries and secondary batteries. Primary batteries are not rechargeable. In general these batteries are called “dry cells" because the electrolyte is held in an absorbent material, so there is no liquid electrolyte. Secondary batteries are capable of being recharged. These batteries have high power densities, high discharge rates, flat discharge curves, and good low temperature performance. These batteries can be used just like a primary battery, except they are recharged instead of thrown away. Wikipedia says that lithium-ion battery, a secondary battery which is a common and the most popular battery type of rechargeable battery. It is very expensive, very high energy density, not usually available in "common" battery sizes, very common in laptop computers, moderate to high-end digital cameras and camcorders, and cellphones, very low rate of self-discharge and volatile: Chance of explosion if short circuited, allowed to overheat, or not manufactured with rigorous quality standards. Limited battery life has become an issue especially in the most recent generation. According to Korhonen, (2011), the evolution of the devices during the last ten years has changed. This evolution has made the devices increasingly useful and important in everyday situations, but at the same time the average power consumption of the devices has increased, leading to shorter and less predictable battery life. Based on Thesis owner handbook, despite of all the advantages and the good things that battery brings, there are also disadvantages which hurt other people and the environment. Proper use and proper care is needed to avoid accidents. Battery is useful but also dangerous to one’s health and to the ecosystem. According to the thesis “Predicting mobile battery life” that evolution of mobile phones from the perspective of power consumption and battery life had greatly increased. As the mobile devices have changed from simple phones to multi-purpose mobile computers, they now have many more use cases than before and the power consumption has increased. The mobile devices have become more important and useful in the everyday situations, but at the same time the battery life has become shorter and less predictable. Battery University sited that like humans, batteries function best at room temperature, and any deviation towards hot and cold changes the performance and/or longevity. Battery at elevated temperatures momentarily improves performance by lowering the internal resistance and speeding up the chemical metabolism, but such a condition shortens service life if allowed to continue for a long period of time. Selecting a battery can be confusing. While all will claim to be particularly well suited to a purpose, all batteries are not created equal, even within their own type, kind, etc. According to energymatters.com all batteries differ from each other. According to the website “mpoweruk.com”, batteries have a finite life due to occurrence of the unwanted chemical or physical changes or the loss of the active materials of which they are made. Battery life can usually only be extended by preventing or reducing the cause of the unwanted parasitic chemical effects which occur in the cells. The related literature and studies above served as a guide to start and finish the research and also acted as the backbone of the study to support the entire investigatory project. CHAPTER 3 Methodology This chapter presents the methods and the procedures to be implemented: method of research, data gathering procedures and tools that will be applied and will be used in the analysis of the data. Research Method Used The descriptive method of research is used in this study because this type of research deals with the events that have already taken place and may be correlated to the present condition. It is generally concerned with the present although it often considers past events and influences as they relate to current conditions. Statistical Treatment The statistical formulas used in the analysis and interpretation of data are presented below. 1. Ranking. A listing of items in a group, such as schools or sports teams, according to a system of rating or a record of performance. Data Gathering Instruments The study exploited the following instruments to gather the needed data. Watch. This was used to determine the time the flashlight was lit and the time it died. Cellphone. This was used as an alternative when the watch is missing. Camera. This was used to take pictures while the investigation was taking place. Eveready Flashlight. This is needed to test the battery. Battery. This is the object to be tested. Table 1 shows the brands of the battery and its type. Table 1 BRAND OF BATTERY AND ITS TYPE Brand Name Type Ticer China Brand Battery Kingever Carbon Battery Eveready Alkaline Battery Maxell Dry Cell Battery Duracell Alkaline Battery Energizer Alkaline Battery 7-Eleven Battery Super Alkaline Battery As indicated in the table, Ticer is only a china brand battery because it is bought in a side walk vendor. Kingever is a carbon battery. Maxell is a dry cell battery. Eveready, Energizer and Duracell are alkaline batteries while the 7-Eleven Battery is a super alkaline battery. Data Gathering Procedures The researchers while conducting the study undertook the following procedures: 1. Gather some related references in the National Library and in the internet. 2. Canvass batteries in different stores, markets, and malls. 3. Buy seven brands of batteries. 4. Borrow one flashlight from a fellow researcher. 5. Prepare the materials that are needed in the study 6. Take several pictures of the materials to be used. 7. Test each brand of battery on the flashlight. 8. Record the time it started and the time it will die. 9. Rank the results from expensive to cheap batteries. 10. Rank the results from the battery that has the longest life to the battery that has the shortest life. CHAPTER 4 Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data This chapter presents the data gathering of the study, interpretation of the results from the conducted study and its presentations. The results from canvassing from malls, market and stores. Table 2 shows the rankings, brand name and the respective prices of the batteries. Table 2 The Brand of Battery with Their Respective Prices Brand Name Cost Rank Energizer Php. 89.25 1 Duracell Php. 78.00 2 7-Eleven Battery Php. 44.50 3 Maxell Php. 40.00 4 Eveready Php. 37.00 5 Kingever Php. 5.00 6.5 Ticer Php. 5.00 6.5 As indicated in the table 2, Energizer (Php. 89.25) is the most expensive battery among the others. Duracell comes next which costs Php. 78.00, followed by the 7-Eleven Battery which costs Php.44.50 and Maxell which costs Php. 40.00. Eveready comes next which costs Php.37.00. The cheapest batteries are Ticer and Kingever which only costs Php. 5.00. The results from testing each battery in the flashlight. The Table 3 shows the ranking of the batteries from the one that has the longest life to one that has the shortest. Table 3 Brand of the Battery and the Number of Hours Used Brand Name Number of hours Rank 7-Eleven Battery 4.5 1 Energizer 4.22 2 Duracell 4.02 3 Eveready 1.58 4 Maxell 1.5 5 Kingever 0.85 6 Ticer 0.18 7 As indicated in Table 3, 7-Eleven Battery which lasted for 4.5 hour has the longest life. Next is Energizer which lasted for 4.22 hours followed by Duracell which lasted for 4.02 hours. Eveready comes next which lasted for 1.58 hours and Maxell which lasted for 1.5 hours. Kingever only lasted for 0.85 hours and the battery that has the shortest life is Ticer which only lasted for 0.18 hours. CHAPTER 5 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter explains the summary, conclusion and the recommendations. This study’s focal point is on the longevity of the life of battery and the factor that affects it. Specifically, the researchers sought to answer the following questions: 1. What brand of battery lasts longer using a flashlight? 2. Do the following factors affect the longevity of the life of each battery? a.) Brand name of the battery b.) Cost of the battery c.) Number of hours used The researchers want to describe the relation of the longevity of the life of batteries to the following criteria: the brand name of the battery, the cost of battery and the number hours it is used. The researchers would also find out what brand of battery will last long using a flashlight. The researchers also conducted an observation to support the data gathered. Summary of Findings Based on the gathered data, which was collected through the use of observation properly treated by a means of oral interpretation and analysis, the following are the summary of findings: The Brand of battery that lasts longer using a flashlight The batteries were tested in the Eveready waterproof Flashlight. Their results were recorded and ranked. The ranked results showed that among all the batteries, 7-Eleven Battery has the longest life and Ticer has the shortest life. Do the following factors affect the longevity of the life of each battery? The Brand name of the battery does not affect the longevity of the life of the batteries because they are just names. Energizer, Duracell, Maxell and Eveready are famous brand names of battery while 7-Eleven battery is not. 7-Eleven battery’s life is longer than the life of the famous battery brand names. The Cost of the battery does not affect the longevity of the life of the batteries because there are batteries that are expensive but their life is not worth its price. Just like Energizer, it costs Php. 89.25 but only lasted for 4.22 hours and also Duracell which costs Php.78.00 but only lasted for 4.02 hours. Unlike 7-Eleven battery which costs almost half of the price of Energizer, but lasted for 4.5 hours. The Number of hours used by the battery greatly affects the longevity of the life of batteries because it determined the life span of the battery by knowing the time it started and the time was drained. Conclusions These are the conclusions that show the principal findings of the study: Famous brand names of battery do not always last longer than other batteries that are unknown. Not all expensive batteries last long, like Energizer and Duracell which costs more than the price of 7-Eleven battery. Not all cheap batteries are low in quality, like Ticer and Kingever which has the same price, but Kingever lasted much longer than Ticer. 7-Eleven battery has the longest life span among the other batteries that are tested. Only the number of hours used can affect the longevity of the life of battery in our study. The brand names and the cost of the batteries can’t affect the longevity of the life of battery Recommendations In accord of the principal findings and conclusions of the research, the following recommendations are offered: Be a savvy consumer; consider some factors in buying batteries to avoid deceitful vendors. Do not always rely on advertisements about batteries because some of them are not worth buying for. Do not buy expensive batteries. Buy numerous cheap batteries than expensive batteries. Factors such as the duration the battery was purchased and battery content must be considered. Check the battery’s expiration dates because it can also affect its life. And for the future researchers, further study about batteries is recommended to make the study more meaningful and accurate; the use of more subjects as well as inclusion of more variables are recommended; and enough time for extensive study must be provided to the researchers. APPENDICES Appendix A December 7, 2012 Dear Greetings! We the fourth year students of Take the Nations for Jesus Christian Academy will be officially presenting our thesis about batteries. You will witness what battery is worth for your money and of course, the time it will last. This will help us in our daily lives in simply choosing the right battery for your equipment. Our group is inviting you to be one of our panelists for our proposal defense. We will be furnishing you hard copies of the thesis notes and lectures for your references. Your suggestions, opinions, and questions are highly appreciated during the talk. We look forward for your further support. The proposal defense will be held on December 13, 2012, 8:00am at the fourth year room of Take the Nations for Jesus Christian Academy. Thank you and God bless! Sincerely yours, __________________________ ___________________ ALEXANDRE MARI A. OYALES JEFFREY RYAN C. CO _______________________ _______________ KIMBERLY BROOKE P. GO LUZEL IGLESIAS Noted by: _________________________ MR. ROLANDO B. MAGAT JR. Teacher - Physics Appendix B Appendix C Watch Cellphone Camera Battery (Maxell) Battery (Kingever) Battery (Ticer) Battery (Eveready) Battery (Duracell) Battery (7 Eleven) Battery (Energizer) Flashlight BIBLIOGRAPHY Journals/Magazines Paredes D. 2003, About Batteries, Malaya, B. Electronic References www.freedoniagroup.com/World-Batteries.html www.batteryuniversity.com http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/physics/docs/theses/2010AhearnThesis.pdf http://lib.tkk.fi/Dipl/2011/urn100426.pdf http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_192853.pdf www.mpoweruk.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery www.energymatters.com TAKE THE NATIONS FOR JESUS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL, INC. 30