5. The Fun Part: Looking Inside Two Notebook Battery Packs

Now that I've covered some battery theory, I'm going to take out my trusty dissection kit (screwdriver) and find out what goes on inside a notebook battery for real. There's nothing like taking something apart to further the understanding of a technology. The interesting thing about notebook batteries is what I call the Mattress Tag. When you hear about exploding batteries, most people take the maker's label at their word to never, ever, open up a battery. Well, most people, except for me.

Most notebook makers design their batteries to thwart tampering and show evidence of tinkering. Now, I don't recommend opening these packs yourself for two reasons: 1) If you accidentally jam a screwdriver into a battery cell and short one, it could be curtains for you! A lithium-ion explosion spews out a generous amount of heat and toxic chemicals. And, 2) it's pretty darn hard to put a notebook battery back together! There are legit reasons to open a battery: 1) you've worn out the battery and want to service it yourself or 2) you need more performance and want to "mod" the battery to increase the capacity. Just make sure you know what you're doing, because neither I nor TG Publishing LLC can take responsibility for your messing with the gods of technology.