Question 6A290

When a battery is being correctly charged, the charger applies a voltage *higher* than the battery's open-circuit voltage, forcing current into the battery. As a result, the battery's terminal voltage should generally *rise* above its open-circuit value while charging. If the battery's terminal voltage *drops* from 12.4 V (open circuit) to 12.2 V when the "charging circuit" is closed, it indicates that current is flowing in an unintended direction, or the battery is effectively discharging into the "charger." This is a strong indicator of reversed polarity: the charging source is connected incorrectly, causing the battery to try and power the charger, or the charger is attempting to force current against the battery's internal EMF in the wrong direction. Option B, "Could be overloaded," is incorrect because overloading refers to drawing too much current *from* a power source. In a charging scenario, a voltage drop points to an issue with the charging connection itself, such as reversed polarity, rather than the battery being overloaded while attempting to receive a charge.