Most smartphones are powered by Lithium ion batteries. These are perfectly safe as long as they are used as per the instructions provided for their care. They will explode, or short circuit as the scientific term goes, under two main conditions. Here are the reasons why the battery could go boom.

The first is a puncture. If the battery gets punctured when the phone is dropped, it could lead to a break in the thin material that segregates the internal cells of the battery. This lead to swelling inside the battery and a potential for an explosion. This process could speed up if bits of metal enter the battery.

The second reason smartphones explode is to do with heat. When a battery is overcharged the excessive current has no place to go. This causes the battery to overheat. Too much heat generated in this manner leads to a thermal highway inside the battery resulting in a breakdown chain reaction.

While no battery in existence today is perfectly safe from these two threats, it must be mentioned that not all batteries are faulty and will explode. Plus scientists are already on to science projects which will provide users with green, clean energy.