Match My Battery

How to read a battery datasheet

Separate nominal values from test conditions, limits and application-specific discharge curves.

Reviewed
2026-08-09
Sources
3
Reading time
4 minutes

Start with identity

Confirm chemistry, standard designation, nominal voltage, dimensions, polarity and whether the cell is rechargeable.

Read the test conditions

Capacity figures depend on load, cutoff voltage, temperature and schedule. Values from different tests are not directly comparable.

Use curves for the application

Discharge and pulse plots show how voltage behaves over time under conditions closer to the intended device.

Decision boundary

This guide narrows a battery decision but does not override the device manufacturer’s current manual or safety instructions.

Sources

  1. Energizer — CR1225 historical engineering drawing, Form EBC-4114D (marked OBSOLETE)

    Historical manufacturer drawing marked OBSOLETE, still served at this URL. Its dimensional envelope is a source-reading example, not a current production tolerance commitment, holder approval or device substitution.

  2. Energizer — AA alkaline engineering datasheet

    Representative cylindrical alkaline designation, voltage, dimensions and performance context.

  3. Energizer — A23 miniature alkaline datasheet

    Miniature multi-cell alkaline dimensions, voltage and pulse-use context.