Alessandro Volta

Impact

Several researchers studied the phenomenon of the pile of Volta and tried to improve it. Some discovered the illumination with arc which shows that electricity causes a kind of flash. They showed the phenomenon by connecting the two terminals of the pile to a piece of coal. But the most important discovery was the first electrolysis of the water which made it possible to identify the two components of water, that is to say oxygen and hydrogen. This important discovered was the work of Anthony Carlisle and William Nicholson. The electrolysis of water had been carried out before but it did not give the same result as with the pile of Volta. Indeed, the other attempts were carried out with a noncontinuous power source, the result of electrolysis was always a mixture and not of pure oxygen and hydrogen. With this discovery, one opened the door with all kinds of electrolysis of which that of aluminum and copper. Then, the first batteries made their appearance. They were made up of several joined together voltaic piles. These batteries were the first with being marketing. Nowadays, the piles are of better quality and are made up of more powerful metal. One of the principal defects of the pile of Volta was its perviousness; the brine in which the pieces of paperboard were plunged ran pile. This problem is now solved because one replaces the brine by a more consistent gel.

In 1820, one discovered that the electric phenomena close were connected to the magnetic phenomena. This bond was discovered when a scientist noticed that the needle of its compass changed direction when it moved it around a wire connected to the pile of Volta; all dependant on its position, the compass did not indicate the same direction. Imagine the importance of this discovery: the pupils of the whole world still study this phenomenon nowadays…

In 1836, Daniell developed the first impolarizable pile, it was the beginning of our era.

Biography

Alessandro Volta makes its studies with Rome, and becomes professor of physics at the royal school in 1774; it develops at it the pile, first electric machine with influence. He in addition studies the composition of marsh gas and insulates, in 1778, the Méthane.

Professor at the university of Pavia starting from 1779, it builds a electrometer sensitive to the bits of straw, then obtains the first condenser (plane metal covered with a layer with varnished) with which it highlights the electricity developed by the contact of metals.

Of 1780 with 1782, it visits the France, the Germany, the Netherlands and the England and collaborates with Antoine Lavoisier and Pierre-Simon Laplace in a study of atmospheric electricity. The discovery of animal electricity by Luigi Galvani leads Volta to study as of 1792 the conditions of excitation of the muscles of a Grenouille. It can then reject the theory of Galvani which privileged the presence of animal fabric and stress the need for a closed metal electrical circuit made up.

With the beginning of the year 1800, Volta publishes in a French letter dated March 20th with the president of the Royal Society the invention of the Battery which it developed on March 17th, 1800: a stacking of couples of discs Zinc - Copper in direct contact, each couple being separated from the following by a piece of fabric soaked with Brine (H0+NaCl). It underlines the fact there that, when they are separated, the copper foil takes a negative charge, and that of zinc a positive load. May 2nd, 1800, two chemists British, (1753 - 1815) and (1768-1840) carry out the first electrolysis (electrolysis of water) by using the Battery of Volta like generator. In November 1801, Volta presents its pile in front of the Institut of France and states the law of the tensions there, as well as the value of the tensions of contact of the metals classified by order of decreasing electropositivity, of zinc to the Argent.

Napoleon Bonaparte, which attends this meeting, makes him decree a Médaille Or, grants a pension to him and, names it Count and Senator of the kingdom of Lombardy.

Volta also studied the dilation of the Gaz and invented the Eudiomètre, instrument being used for the volumetric analysis of the gas mixtures, with which it carried out the first synthesis of water (HO).

In 1819, Volta is withdrawn in its birthplace where he dies the March 5th 1827 with 18:16. The electric unit of tension will be baptized Volt in its honor. Volta interested the whole world by its discovery of the pile. The glory of this man was engraved forever in the history of electricity.

The study of electricity was always its passion and, still young student, it wrote a Latin poem directly in , Of VI attractiva ignis electrici ac phaenomenis India pendentibus , on this attractive and new phenomenon. It is its first scientific writing.

Honors

In honor with its work in the field of electricity, Napoleon Bonaparte decreed to him the title of count in 1810; in 1815, the emperor of Austria appointed it professor of Philosophie to Padoue. Volta is buried in the city of Like, in Italy; the Volta temple, close to the Lake of As is devoted to its work; its original instruments and papers are presented there. The building appeared, like its portrait on the Italian currency, before the installation of the Euro. In 1881, an important unit, the Volt, east creates in its honor. The Royal Society decrees the to him Médaille Copley in 1794.

External bond

Works of Volta digitized by the SICD of the universities of Strasbourg

May 5th 1791 -->

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