Lab Notes: Why you shouldn't leave your phone charging

Your phone battery doesn't like being fully charged or discharged. This is why it's sometimes advised that to extend its life, you shouldn't charge your phone beyond 80 per cent, or let it drop below 20 per cent.

But what's actually happening inside a lithium-ion battery to cause this effect, and what does it mean for battery engineering — and the life of the battery in your phone, or your electric car?

Jonathan Webb powers through the chemistry of batteries with Professor Neeraj Sharma.

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

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Featuring:

• Professor Neeraj Sharma, University of New South Wales

This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.