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mercuric oxide-zinc cell
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miniature power cell: cutaway view
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mercuric oxide-zinc cell

battery
Also known as: zinc-mercuric oxide cell
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miniature power cell: cutaway view
miniature power cell: cutaway view Cutaway view of a typical construction of a miniature power cell, as in, for example, a zinc–silver oxide or zinc–mercuric oxide system.

The zinc-mercuric oxide battery is an alkaline-electrolyte battery system. While it was previously used in button-sized cells for devices like hearing aids and watches, its use has been significantly reduced due to its mercury content.1

This type of battery offers an energy density approximately four times greater than that of the alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide battery. Currently, it is primarily employed as a standard reference cell, valued for its extremely reliable output of 1.35 volts, which is used to measure the performance of other batteries.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. battery - Zinc–mercuric oxide battery
  2. battery - Development of batteries

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