easyMultiple Choice
220-1102 Practice Question: While upgrading a workstation, you find that the…
While upgrading a workstation, you find that the old lithium-ion battery is swollen. What is the safest and most environmentally sound way to handle this battery?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ exams often test the misconception that damaged batteries can be safely disposed of in regular trash or recycling, when in fact they require special handling due to fire and environmental hazards.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Place it in a fireproof container and contact a hazardous waste disposal service.
A swollen lithium-ion battery indicates internal damage and potential thermal runaway risk. Placing it in a fireproof container and contacting hazardous waste disposal ensures safe containment and proper recycling, preventing fire hazards and environmental contamination from toxic electrolytes and heavy metals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Puncture the battery to release the pressure, then throw it in the trash.
Why it's wrong here
Puncturing a swollen lithium-ion cell exposes its reactive electrolyte to air, causing fire or explosion, and trash disposal is illegal. It is tempting because venting seems to relieve pressure, but the safe route is a fireproof container and a designated battery-recycling facility.
- ✓
Place it in a fireproof container and contact a hazardous waste disposal service.
Why this is correct
A swollen lithium-ion cell risks thermal runaway and fire, so it must not be punctured, charged or binned normally. Sealing it in a fireproof container and routing it to a hazardous waste disposal service satisfies both the safety and environmental constraints.
- ✗
Put it in a sealed plastic bag and put it in the regular recycling bin.
Why it's wrong here
Sealing a swollen lithium-ion battery in plastic and placing it in regular recycling risks puncture, thermal runaway and fire during sorting. It is tempting as a tidy, eco-friendly gesture, but swollen cells require a designated battery-recycling or hazardous-waste facility.
- ✗
Freeze the battery to stop the swelling, then dispose of it in the trash.
Why it's wrong here
Freezing does not reverse the internal gas build-up causing the swelling, and the battery still cannot go in general trash. It is tempting because cold seems to stabilise a hot cell, but the correct handling is isolating it in a fireproof container and routing it to hazardous-waste collection.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Secure Disposal of Electronic Equipment
Key term
Containment
Containment is the incident response phase where security teams isolate a compromised system or network to prevent the threat from spreading further while preserving evidence.
Key term
Container
A container is a lightweight, standalone software package that includes everything needed to run an application, such as code, runtime, system tools, and libraries.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.