Which battery chemistry is described as having a longer life cycle than lead-acid batteries?

Which battery chemistry is described as having a longer life cycle than lead-acid batteries?

• A. Hydrogen fuel cell batteries
• B. Ultracapacitors
• C. Lithium-ion batteries
• D. Nickel-metal hydride batteries

Answer: (D)

Cycle life describes how many full charge-discharge cycles a battery can endure before its capacity falls below a set threshold. Nickel-metal hydride cells use a nickel oxide hydroxide positive electrode with a hydrogen-absorbing alloy negative electrode, a chemistry that handles repeated cycling with less degradation from sulfation and grid wear that commonly limit lead-acid batteries. Because of this, NiMH typically delivers more usable cycles—often hundreds to over a thousand—than lead-acid, especially under typical automotive or portable-use conditions. While other options have their own strengths—ultracapacitors excel in cycle life but aren’t traditional batteries, lithium-ion can rival or exceed NiMH in cycles under the right conditions, and hydrogen fuel cells aren’t battery chemistries in the same sense—the question focuses on a battery chemistry with a longer life after cycling, and NiMH is the most consistent fit relative to lead-acid.

Cycle life describes how many full charge-discharge cycles a battery can endure before its capacity falls below a set threshold. Nickel-metal hydride cells use a nickel oxide hydroxide positive electrode with a hydrogen-absorbing alloy negative electrode, a chemistry that handles repeated cycling with less degradation from sulfation and grid wear that commonly limit lead-acid batteries. Because of this, NiMH typically delivers more usable cycles—often hundreds to over a thousand—than lead-acid, especially under typical automotive or portable-use conditions. While other options have their own strengths—ultracapacitors excel in cycle life but aren’t traditional batteries, lithium-ion can rival or exceed NiMH in cycles under the right conditions, and hydrogen fuel cells aren’t battery chemistries in the same sense—the question focuses on a battery chemistry with a longer life after cycling, and NiMH is the most consistent fit relative to lead-acid.