QUESTION:

If you lose power during the storm, can you charge your phone with a nine-volt battery?

ANSWER:

Yes, it can work but is not recommended to try.

SOURCES:

Dr. Michael Osterman (Senior Research Scientist & Director, CALCE Electronic Products and System Consortium Center for Advance Lifecycle Engineering), Gerd Ceder (Chancellor’s Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Lawrence Berkley International Laboratory)

PROCESS:

One of the latest videos circulating on Facebook with over half a million shares, claims if you lose power during Hurricane Irma, you can charge your phone with a nine-volt battery.

Two experts confirmed charging your phone with a nine-volt battery does work.

Dr. Michael Osterman, senior research scientist and the director of the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE) Electronic Products and Systems Consortium at the University of Maryland demonstrated for WUSA9 researchers how it works.

Osterman used a 9v battery and connected the negative side to a black insulated wire and the positive side to a red insulated wire. He connected the other end of those wires to the right and left side of the car charger, where the USB was connected.

The USB went from the car charger to the phone. The car charger has an input of 12v-24v and it regulates how much current goes into your phone. It allows only 5v to charge your phone.

Gerd Ceder who specializes in science and engineering with the Lawrence Berkley International Laboratory, stresses that this method should only be used in dire straits situations.

“I wouldn't do it, you have a significant risk of-- at the minimum damaging your phone or at the worst causing a battery explosion, said Ceder."

Ostreman explains this is something you do in a pinch. "Anyone attempting this should avoid shorting the battery as this could cause the battery to become hot and could result in injury."