Why does your computer need a battery?

FromBrainStuff

Start listening View podcast show

Why does your computer need a battery?

FromBrainStuff

ratings:

Length:

3 minutes

Released:

Jan 30, 2015

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Computers have a small battery that's important because it keeps the machine's clock running -- and sometimes, your computer. Get the goods on computer batteries in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Released:

Jan 30, 2015

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.

Skip carousel

How Breathing in a Submarine Work: For air in a submarine to remain usable, three things must happen: The oxygen must be replenished as it is consumed, the carbon dioxide must be removed from the air, and the moisture in human breath must also be removed. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Why the Sky is Blue?: As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, particles in the air scatter blue light more efficiently than any other color in the light spectrum, creating a blue sky. Learn more about the sky and light in this Brainstuff podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Fountains in Rome Work: Built before the invention of electric pumps, fountains in Rome were powered through an ingenious system of gravity, cisterns, and aqueducts. Learn more about fountains in Rome in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How the Corvette ZR1 Works: The 2009 Corvette ZR1 combines several technical innovations to produce a turbo-charged, eight-cylinder engine. Learn more about the Corvette ZR1 in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Maple Syrup Works: The clear, thin sap of Maple trees must be boiled down to create maple syrup -- it takes about 30 to 40 gallons of sap to create one gallon of syrup. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about Maple syrup. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How long can a germ live in a room?: How long can a germ last outside the body? It depends. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to find out how different germs fare outside the body. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Catapults Works: There are three different technologies that fall into the catapult category: the ballista, the trebuchet and the catapult. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the differences between catapult technologies. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Gun Silencers Work: The sound of gunfire is incredibly loud, and it is amazing that anything is able to silence a firearm. However, the principle behind a gun silencer is surprisingly simple. Check out our HowStuffWorks article to learn more about silencers. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Are florescent bulbs really more efficient?: Customers are increasingly choosing long-lasting alternatives to traditional incandescent lights. But are florescent lightbulbs really more efficient than traditional lightbulbs? Listen in and find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How Perceiving Earth as a Sphere Works: Is there any way that people could know the world is sphere while standing on the earth? Learn more about perceiving earth as a sphere in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
What causes the banging noise in my home's pipes?: The problem of pipes banging on a wall is often called "water hammer." Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about this phenomenon. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Uninterruptible Power Supplies Work: An uninterruptible power supply protects computers against surges, spikes, sags, and total power failure. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about uninterruptible power supplies. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How gas pumps work: Next time you're filling up your tank at a gas station, ask yourself this: how does the nozzle know when the tank is full? Learn more about gas pumps in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Activated Charcoal Works: If you look on the label of a water filter, you'll often see the filter contains activated charcoal -- but what exactly is this stuff? Tune in as Marshall Brain explains the nature of activated charcoal in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
What is an MRE?: An MRE -- or meal ready to eat -- contains precooked, sterilized food originally made to nourish soldiers. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the retort packaging that makes MREs possible. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How much fuel does an international airplane use for a trip?: A Boeing 747 uses approximately one galloon of fuel per second -- over the course of a ten hour flight, it might burn 36,00 galloons of fuel. How does this compare to a car? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about airplane mileage. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How does making bread work?: Bread is a technology for turning hard kernels into a soft foodstuff. Learn more about bread and yeast in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How Fever Works: In this podcast, learn what causes a fever and what actually happens to the body when a fever occurs. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How do satellites orbit the Earth?: In this episode of BrainStuff, Marshall explains the physics behind satellites and orbits. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
How does SETI at home work?: SETI -- the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence -- is an enormous, global undertaking meant to detect signs of life beyond our solar system. Learn how you can help from home in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
What is the Difference Between a Carat and a Karat?: Carats are used for diamonds, while karats are used for gold. Learn more about the difference between carats and karats in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: April 1st, 2011: With billions of people on the planet and millions of astonishing events happening each day, it's tough to keep track of everything. Luckily, Marshall's here to keep you up-to-date with the latest news in his weekly news roundup. Tune in and learn more. by BrainStuff
12 min listen
Marshall Brain's News Roundup: May 6th, 2011: With billions of people on the planet and millions of astonishing events happening each day, it's tough to keep track of everything. Luckily, Marshall's here to keep you up-to-date with the latest news in his weekly news roundup. Tune in and learn more. by BrainStuff
14 min listen
How a GFCI outlet works: A normal 120 volt outlet in the US has two vertical slots and a role hole centered below the slots -- the outlets with a pair of red and black 'test' and 'reset' buttons are known as GCFI outlets. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more. by BrainStuff
1 min listen
How the Virtual First-Down Line Works: Virtual first down lines are used to indicate where play resumes in football -- but how do they work? Listen in as Marshall Brain explains how the technology superimposes a virtual line in this podcast on HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
How does the Nobel Prize work?: Nobel Prizes are highly prestigious, valuable awards that have been given out to visionaries and pioneers in select fields since 1901. Tune in to find out more about the Nobel Prize in this episode of BrainStuff. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Do the humps on camels hold water?: The camel's hump is a giant deposit of fat that lets the camel survive up to 2 weeks without food. Learn more about camels in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How do they measure sea level?: Sea level is an important measurement, but it's also a complicated one. Find out why in this episode of BrainStuff. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
Is there a way to make my sunglasses scratch-resistant?: Sunglasses have various special coatings: Some are reflective, while others are scratch-resistant. In this episode, Marshall explains how these different coatings work. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
Can grilling meat really cause cancer?: Lots of people like to grill their meat, but this popular cooking method has been linked to cancer. Discover how chemical reactions make grilled meat potentially carcinogenic in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen

More Episodes from BrainStuff

Skip carousel

Are Humans Built to Drink Milk After Childhood? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Should You Escape a Sinking Car? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
How Do Cherry Blossom Trees Work? by BrainStuff
10 min listen
How Did Bessie Stringfield Shape Motorcycle History? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
How Do Squirrels Organize Their Hoards? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Makes Some Lakes Explode? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: Why Is Palm Oil in So Many Things? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
Where Did the Word 'OK' Come From? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
Should You Beware the Ides of March? by BrainStuff
8 min listen
How Do Fruit Bats Work? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
What Are Meat Sweats? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Did Susan B. Anthony Work? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Happens When Elevator Cables Break? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: How Can I Donate My Brain to Science? by BrainStuff
3 min listen
Why Is the Ocean Different Colors? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Are You Picturing the Right Brachiosaurus? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
How Does Critical Race Theory Work? by BrainStuff
12 min listen
Is Oxytocin Really A Love Drug? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
How Do Pistol Shrimp Work? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: Why Did London Once Have a Train for the Dead? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: Why Does Beer Foam Last Longer Than Soda Foam? by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Did Maya Angelou Work? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
How Does Scurvy Work? by BrainStuff
9 min listen
Do Cows Really Pollute As Much As Cars? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Where Does Earth's Water Come From? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Why Does the Orchid Mantis Imitate Flowers? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: When We Lose Weight, Where Does It Go? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
BrainStuff Classics: What Can Probiotics Really Do? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
Is Jaywalking Still a Crime? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
Why Is the Bradford Pear Tree Bad – Even Beyond the Smell? by BrainStuff
7 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Does adding RAM make a computer faster?: Adding random access memory -- or RAM -- to your computer can, to a degree, make the machine faster. Check out this podcast from HowStuffWorks to learn how RAM affects your computer. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
Will using multiple applications kill my computer?: Most computer users run multiple applications at the same time -- this can often cause the computer to run more slowly. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about your computer's health. by TechStuff
15 min listen
Are Stick Shifts Going Extinct? by BrainStuff
6 min listen
Why does my hard drive make that churning sound?: Inside the hard drive of many computers, a small arm moves across the face of the hard disk. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to discover how the movement of this arm produces sound -- and why the arm must move to load files. by BrainStuff
3 min listen
Can I make my own car parts?: One of the most frustrating problems for antique car collectors is the endemic lack of vintage auto parts. Fortunately, technology has come to the rescue. Learn more about 3-dimensional printers in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by CarStuff
30 min listen
What is distributed computing?: Sometimes using a single computer just won't cut it, and buying time on a supercomputer can be prohibitively expensive. So what do you do next? Tune in and learn more about distributed computing in this podcast. by TechStuff
29 min listen
How Uninterruptible Power Supplies Work: An uninterruptible power supply protects computers against surges, spikes, sags, and total power failure. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about uninterruptible power supplies. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Listener Mail Roundup 2: You've got questions -- and the TechStuff guys have answers. Listen in as they tackle more listener mail, from online scams to overcharging batteries, in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by TechStuff
24 min listen
Why Is There a Semiconductor Shortage? by BrainStuff
8 min listen
How Mac Viruses Work: Apple computers used to have 'security through obscurity' because most hackers didn't bother writing computer viruses for a Mac. Now that appears to be changing -- learn why in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by TechStuff
18 min listen
How Car Thermostats Work: Any liquid-cooled car engine has a thermostat that blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator. Learn how the thermostat works to reduce wear, deposits and emissions in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Idle-Stop Systems: An idling car is remarkably inefficient, and gets zero miles per galloon. Luckily, idle-stop systems might be the next step in car technology, saving drivers millions of dollars over time. Learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by CarStuff
18 min listen
How can I repair my own car?: There's a certain undeniable satisfaction found in repairing one's own vehicle. Check in with the High Speed Stuff crew as they take a look at the industry built around do-it-yourself car repair in this podcast from HowStuffWorks. by CarStuff
11 min listen
What are other ways to store energy besides batteries?: Batteries are a common way to store energy, but there are many others. Discover more energy storage techniques, from falling weights to fuel cells, in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How Can You Get Paid to Break Into Stuff? by BrainStuff
7 min listen
How can turbines change our energy future?: Gas turbine engines often power jet airplanes and helicopters, but they may turn up in other applications in the near future. Discover how turbine engines work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Car Survival Kits: Whether you're worried about weather or long trips, a car survival kit may make the difference between life and death. Learn more about the basics of survival kits -- and how these can be modified for your needs -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by CarStuff
31 min listen
How Driverless Cars Will Work: Driverless cars were once the stuff of science fiction. However, as technology improves, computer-driven vehicles might be coming to a street near you. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the pros and cons of driverless cars. by CarStuff
17 min listen
How Do Dollar Stores Make Money? by BrainStuff
8 min listen
How LCDs Work: You probably use items containing an LCD (liquid crystal display) every day. This technology can be found in laptops computers, digital clocks, ovens and CD players. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn how these LCDs work. by TechStuff
9 min listen
How does a hybrid car work?: Hybrid cars combine electric motors and smaller gasoline engines in an attempt to increase efficiency. Find out exactly how they work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
How does an airplane toilet work?: Airplane toilets serve the same function as regular ones, but because they exist in a moving environment, they rely on slightly different technology to get the job done. Find out how they work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How Web Browser Updates Work: As the capacity and complexity of the internet grows, browsers also become more complex. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the future of web browsing. by TechStuff
26 min listen
How Rearview Cameras Work: Rearview mirrors are important components of every automobile, but some cars can still have huge blind spots. Are rearview cameras the next step in auto safety? Tune in and find out in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by CarStuff
16 min listen
Why do electric plugs have holes?: You might have noticed that plugs for electric appliances have two holes. There are three reasons for these apertures -- find out what they are in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
Video Game Consoles: In today's episode, the TechStuff guys weigh in on video game consoles, from the models they own to the future of gaming consoles. Learn more about technology in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com. by TechStuff
36 min listen
How Death-Proof Cars Work: Could high-end digital auto systems such as blind-spot detection and collision prevention overcome the errors of human drivers? Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the death-proof cars of the future. by Stuff You Should Know
6 min listen
How Phones Work During Power Outages: Phone companies use generators to ensure that landline phones will work, even in the event of a power outage. Learn more about phone systems in this HowStuffWorks podcast. by BrainStuff
2 min listen
How cell phones work: Today's cell phones are amazingly compact, complex devices that provide a wide array of services. Discover the origins of these technological wonders, and the technology that makes them work, in this episode of BrainStuff. by BrainStuff
4 min listen
Apple shows off Mac Studio, M1 Ultra iPhone SE and iPad Air (The Daily Charge, 3/8/2022): The company brought out a new computer line while offering some refreshes to longstanding products. by The Daily Charge
18 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Why does your computer need a battery?

Why does your computer need a battery?

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from BrainStuff

Related podcast episodes