Should laptops be plugged in all the time?

In daily life, if you need to use a laptop for a long time, it is best to “plug it in” to use it. Here is some knowledge about charging. Being plugged in does not mean that it is always charging. When the laptop battery is fully charged, it will only power the device.

When ordinary users use laptops, they are divided into three states: the laptop battery is not plugged in, the laptop battery is powered on but not fully charged, and the laptop battery is powered on when fully charged. In the past, most laptop batteries used nickel metal hydride batteries and nickel cadmium batteries, but now laptops have long been updated to lithium batteries and are powered by built-in lithium batteries. Lithium batteries can only maintain a single state, that is, charging or discharging.

The composition and structure of lithium-ion batteries are complexly designed to provide efficient energy storage and release. The core of a lithium-ion battery consists of three main components: cathode, anode, and electrolyte. The cathode is usually made of metal oxides, such as lithium cobalt oxide or lithium iron phosphate. The anode is usually composed of graphite, which can embed lithium ions during the charging process.The working principle of lithium battery is that when charging, lithium ions in lithium battery move from positive electrode to negative electrode to store electric energy; when discharging, lithium ions move from negative electrode to positive electrode to form current supply.

Laptop batteries have a charging cycle, usually 500 full cycles. A charging cycle means when you consume the power of the laptop to 0 and then charge it back to 100%. If you consume the battery to 50% and then charge it back to 100%, it can only be called half a cycle. As time goes by, the battery’s charging cycle will become less and less, which also means that the battery life is getting shorter and shorter. Simply put, lithium batteries have a certain lifespan. If the charging cycle exceeds the rated number, the battery life will be reduced. When the laptop is plugged in, the battery does not supply power and is in an idle state. If the lithium battery is not used for a long time, it will be worn out and affect its life. It is generally recommended to charge and discharge at least once a month, let the battery power be consumed to about 20%, and then fully charge it and cycle it once, without using automatic shutdown.