What is the Size of an AA Battery?

An AA battery is pretty common nowadays and is one of the standard sized batteries out there. A lot of portable electronics use this battery size. Through the years, various battery sizes have come out in an effort to standardize the sizes of batteries. The AA size was only standardized in the year 1947.

Back in the day, batteries of this size were only used electrical novelties including mini flashlights. However, by the year 2007, batteries of this size made up about 60% of primary battery sales in the United States. More than half of the batteries sold in Japan were of this size in 2011. The same was true in Switzerland in the year 2008. This is by far the most popular battery size in many countries in the world.

Dimensions

The total length of an AA battery is about 51 mm or around a couple of inches. If you don’t want to include its button terminal then it will measure a total of 50.1 mm in height or something roughly equivalent to 1.97 inches. It has a diameter of 13.5 mm to 14.5 mm, which is the equivalent of 0.53″ to 0.57″. You won’t usually have to bother with the dimensions of this battery size unless you’re working on a project that requires a bit of tinkering.

Capacity

The AA battery size is usually marketed as an all purpose type of battery. Well given its dimensions and primary chemistry, this type of battery has a capacity of 400 to 900 milliamp hours. However, that capacity will also depend on duty cycles and test conditions in general.

It should be noted that alkaline batteries will usually cost more than batteries of the same type that use zinc chloride. Digital cameras and other devices that use a lot of battery power usually work best with lithium batteries due to its longer running time.

It should be noted that rechargeable batteries usually supply a lower voltage compared to non-rechargeable batteries. Four non-rechargeable alkaline batteries can produce up to six volts while four rechargeable batteries can only produce about 4.8 volts. This is one of the primary reasons why some devices have warnings that exclude the use of rechargeable batteries.

You may have heard of Li-ion batteries of this size that are rechargeable. However, it should come as a warning that batteries of this kind can only supply 3.6 volts. This voltage is usually incompatible with many electronic devices. If you’re looking for an alternative source of power, you may use a single CR-V3 battery to replace a pair of AA’s in case space permits.

Today, the AA battery size is still quite popular in many parts of the world. Its dimensions and chemistry make it quite a versatile source of power for many electronic gadgets.