Different Battery Sizes and What They Mean

When choosing batteries we oftentimes come across unknown letter indicators such as АА, ААА, С, or D. By just looking at them, it can be hard to figure out the exact size of the battery you are holding.

5-Minute Crafts prepared a small illustrated guide that will help you figure out the sizes of the most popular batteries used to power various devices.

АА batteries

AA batteries look like a cylinder with a diameter of 13.5-14.5 mm and a length of 49.2-50.5 mm, including the protrusion of the positive terminal. These batteries can be either primary or rechargeable.

Normally, AA batteries are used in portable electronic devices like flashlights, remote controls, calculators, game controllers, and other gadgets. Because of their popularity in small flashlights, they are often called “penlight batteries.”

ААА batteries

ААА batteries also have a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 10.5 mm and a length of 44.5 mm including the protrusion of the positive terminal. Just like AA batteries, they can be primary and rechargeable.

Normally, they are used in small electronic devices like remote controls, MP3 players, digital cameras, home clocks, wireless phones, and other gadgets.

С batteries

С batteries also have a cylindrical shape. They have a diameter of 26.2 mm and a length of 50 mm, including the protrusion of the positive terminal. Stores offer both primary and rechargeable types of these batteries.

Normally they are used for powering big portable flashlights, electronic musical instruments, game consoles, small production controllers, and other items.

D batteries

Just like other popular types of batteries, D batteries have a cylindrical shape. They are one of the largest batteries: their diameter is 33.2 mm, their length is 61.5 mm including the length of the positive terminal. They can be both primary and rechargeable.

D batteries are used for powering large portable flashlights, automatic dispensers, production controllers, and other production items or items of common use.

9V batteries

9V batteries, or 9-volt batteries, got their name because of their nominal electrical voltage which equals 9. Currently, this voltage is typical only for primary types of batteries. The voltage of rechargeable 9V batteries ranges from 7.2V to 9.6V.

9V batteries have a rectangular shape with rounded edges and a polarized snap connector at the top. The size can vary but the most common size is 48.5 mm × 26.5 mm × 17.5 mm.

9V batteries were created for the early transistor radios. Today they are used for powering smoke and gas detectors, clocks, walkie-talkies, electrical guitars, and other electronic musical instruments.

Watch batteries

Button cells were first used in electronic wristwatches, that’s why they are called watch batteries. They are also called coin batteries or button batteries due to their resemblance to these objects.

This type of battery is shaped like a squat cylinder with a diameter from 5 to 25 mm. They can be either primary or rechargeable. They are used for powering not only watches but also calculators, flashlights, various computer gadgets, medical thermometers, and other items.

It is recommended to keep miniature batteries out of reach of children, as they may be accidentally swallowed by babies.

Other types of batteries

• AAAA batteries are cylindrical-shaped batteries with a diameter of 8.3 mm and a length of 42.5 mm. They are used in small devices like laser pointers, LED penlights, glucose meters, small headphone amplifiers, battery-powered computer styluses, and other gadgets.
• A23 batteries are batteries in the shape of a cylinder with a diameter of 10.3 mm and a length of 28.5 mm. They are mainly used in keyless vehicle entry systems, garage door openers, home security systems, Bluetooth headsets, and other devices.
• CR123A batteries are cylindrical-shaped batteries with a diameter of 17 mm and a length of 34.5 mm. They are used in cameras that require a large amount of energy.
• CR2 is another popular type of battery for cameras. They have a cylindrical shape and a diameter of 15.6 mm and a length of 27 mm.