Battery capacity to current: From a 60 Ah battery, how much continuous current can be drawn over 14 h, assuming ideal discharge and constant load?

Introduction / Context:
Battery capacity is commonly specified in ampere-hours (Ah), which indicates how much current a battery can supply over a given number of hours. Converting a capacity rating to a steady current for a specific time window is a frequent task in power-system sizing and runtime estimation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Battery capacity C = 60 Ah.
• Required discharge time t = 14 h.
• Assume near-ideal behavior: constant current, nominal temperature, and that Peukert effects are neglected (good for a quick estimate).

Concept / Approach:

For an ideal battery, the relationship between capacity, current, and time is straightforward: C = I * t. Rearranging yields I = C / t. This gives the average current the battery can provide over the specified duration before reaching its capacity limit.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Check by multiplication: 4.28 A * 14 h ≈ 59.92 Ah, which is effectively 60 Ah considering rounding. This confirms the result is consistent with the rated capacity.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

42.8 A and 428 A would drain the battery in far less than 14 h. 4.2 A is a rounded underestimate; while close, 4.28 A is the precise calculation. 0.428 A would imply much longer than 14 h.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing Ah with Wh (which also needs voltage), or forgetting to divide by time in hours. Real batteries may deliver less current due to Peukert's law at high rates; here we assume an ideal estimate.

Final Answer:

4.28 A