A battery control circuit having a battery voltage detecting section for detecting the voltage of a battery includes a resistor and a switching element which are connected in series and which are connected to the battery in parallel, and a battery controlling section for acquiring information relating to a change in the voltage of the battery, which is detected by the battery voltage detecting section, by turning on the switching element to allow a current of the battery to flow through the resistor. The battery controlling section determines the residual capacity of the battery based on the information relating to the change in the voltage of the battery.