Who invented the battery?
One of the most important discoveries in the last 400 years has been electricity. You may ask, “Has electricity been around that long?” The answer is “yes”, and perhaps much longer. Surprisingly, electricity only became useful to humanity in the late 1800s. Clay jar with iron rod surrounded by copper cylinder. When filled with vinegar + an electrolytic, solution produces 1.1 volts DC (circa. 250 BC to 640 ADO). It is believed that the Parthians who ruled Baghdad (circa 250 BC) used batteries to electroplate silver. The Egyptians are said to have electroplated antimony onto copper over 4300 years ago. In the early 1800, France was approaching the height of scientific advancements and new ideas were welcomed with open arms to support the political agenda. By invitation, Volta addressed the Institute of France in a series of lectures in which Napoleon Bonaparte was present.
1800 – Alessandro Volta invented the voltaic pile and discovered the first practical method of generating electricity. Constructed of alternating discs of zinc and copper with pieces of cardboard soaked in brine between the metals, the voltic pile produced electrical current. The metallic conducting arc was used to carry the electricity over a greater distance. Alessandro Volta’s voltaic pile was the first “wet cell battery” that produced a reliable, steady current of electricity.
