Why Smartphone, Laptop, and Airplane Batteries Explode

Lighter, less expensive and more energy dense than other secondary battery technologies, lithium-ion has become the dominant form of rechargeable battery today. It powers everything from mobile phones and laptops to cars and commercial jets. But there is one little problem--these batteries don't just short circuit, they explode into flames. Here's what goes on inside a lithium cell before it goes boom. More