One of the critical components that identifies a laptop computer is its laptop battery that gives it its portability. A number of different battery technologies have been utilized over the years and laptop computers and as they have developed they have become smaller and lighter while providing more power. However, computer hardware has also seen a reduced size and weight so laptop batteries still contribute highly to the weight of the overall machine.

Modern laptop computers use two types of batteries, the lithium ion battery and the lithium polymer battery. Both of these battery types provide a high power to weight ratio and lose their charging capacity over a relatively long period of time. However, the lithium ion battery may be subject to overheating due to either defects or improper care. That is why the stability of a lithium polymer battery is regarded as a more advanced design.

Laptop computer batteries are rechargeable and they can undergo the discharge charge cycle numerous times. But all rechargeable batteries eventually wear out and will need to be replaced. The type of battery that are supplied with your laptop computer will be indicated in the user's manual that came with the laptop computer. This information is also commonly available on the vendor's website. This documentation should also provide an approximation of the batteries lifetime and the steps that you can take to prolong its life.

Laptop Battery Power Consumption

Most modern laptop batteries will power the computer for an average of 3 to 5 hours. This is a large improvement over the shorter operating life that the earlier technologies have provided and battery engineers are continuing to develop more sophisticated batteries that offer longer operating times for the computer. Laptop computers themselves consumed different amounts of power and even the same laptop computer will have different power consumptions the pending on how it is set up.

Different programs and different computing task typically require varying amounts of electrical power from the laptop computer. Normal business applications such as word processing programs and spreadsheet programs do not place a high demand on the laptop's battery power. And although e-mail applications and Internet software clients do not require large amounts of power themselves, the WiFi circuitry in the laptop computer is somewhat of a power hog. Other power intensive applications include DVD players, applications to play music, and graphics programs to add it digital video and photographs. Generally speaking, multi-media applications generally demand a lot of the laptop's power. It is recommended that you run your laptop computer from its power cable when you are performing any energy intensive task so that you do not unexpectedly need to terminate your programs.

The battery icon that appears on the bottom right in the taskbar of most computers will show you how much battery power you will have to left. You should maximize your laptop computers power management functions to conserve battery power and you should also use its sleep function when you are not using your laptop. Many times this battery icon will also give you an indication of the overall health of the laptop battery.

Your laptop computers battery management utility a layout you to set your personalized power scheme. The settings can usually be differentiated for both operating the computer on battery power and on electrical power. These laptop computers battery management settings can be found under the power options in the system's control panel for Windows operating systems.

Battery Charging

Your laptop computer is powered by DC or direct current. That is because this is the type of energy that is stored in all rechargeable batteries. However, since electrical outlets provide AC or alternating current, a converter must be used to transform the energy to DC power. This AC DC adapter will come supplied with the laptop computer. It can be used to charge the battery when the computer is not being used and it can also be used to power the computer when it is plugged in to the computer's power port. When the adapter is supplying power to the laptop computer while it is being used, the utility will indicate that it is running on AC power. Your laptop computer will also indicate that the battery is being charged when the computer is not in use by flashing LEDs on the computer. This is different for each computer system so referrer to your computers manual for the specifics to your system.