A voltaic cell converts the chemical reaction between two dissimilar metals and a conductive fluid into an electric charge. The galvanic technique uses two metals covered in salt water, separated by a barrier, to create an electrochemical reaction and generate electricity. Multiple cells in series create a voltaic pile, which can power devices. Corrosion is a side effect of the reaction. The technology dates back to antiquity, but modern battery technology was developed in the late 1700s and 1800s by Galvani and Volta.
A voltaic cell is a device made by connecting two dissimilar metals together and immersing the combined piece in some sort of fluid that creates a conductive atmosphere. The general purpose of a voltaic cell is to convert the chemical reaction between the metals and the fluid into an electric charge. One of the more common examples is simply a battery, used to supply electrical power to devices that are not connected to a central mains power source.
The fundamental way in which a voltaic cell works is the use of the galvanic technique. A galvanic voltaic cell consists of two metals, such as copper and zinc, placed very close together. This unified piece is then covered in salt water, which causes the electrochemical reaction. The key to the reaction comes from the fact that the metal contains cations, ions with more protons than electrons. Cations react with water, which contains anions, ions with more electrons than protons.
You need to keep both metals separated by a small barrier. This is because one metal will cause oxidation to decrease within the other, while the other metal increases the oxidation. The reaction between cations and anions creates an exchange of electrons and thus the creation of electricity.
When a certain number of these galvanic voltaic cells are placed in series, we speak of a voltaic pile. Alternating the two metals with some sort of electrolyte barrier can create the electrochemical reaction. If the two ends of the voltaic pile are connected, an electric current will be created, which can then be used to power other devices in the form of a battery.
One of the side effects of the voltaic reaction is corrosion. Due to the continuous chemical reaction, the exchange of electrons eventually results in the degradation of metals. This is why a battery eventually dies rather than last forever.
The use of the voltaic cell appears to date back to antiquity with the discovery of the Baghdad Battery in 1936, a series of galvanic cells placed in large jars dating back to the early centuries AD However, it was not until the work of Luigi Galvani in the late 1700s that battery technology has been modernized. Galvani discovered that by linking copper and zinc, he was able to cause a frog’s leg to spasm. Alessandro Volta took this information and adapted it to the voltaic pile in the 1800s.
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