Batteries we have in all kinds and sizes, they have actually become indispensable. We use them for everyday things like the wall clock, hand games consoles, keyboard, flashlight, watch, etc. You probably have things yourself, which only works on such a handy battery. Did you know that you can easily generate electricity yourself?
Volta is the inventor of the battery, and its name is still called every day. How did he find out you could put power in a tube? You can see that in this interesting video from SchoolTV. You'll know exactly how Volta discovered the battery!
Alessandro Volta was a doctor and discovered in 1786 that there was electricity between two metal plates and salt water or acid. You can discover this yourself by using lemons, copper coins and iron nails. Nice to do at school or with a group of children!
Photo: PublicDomain
Volta stacked layers of copper and zinc, and put layers of dust in between with a saline solution. So a turret was created, which contained electricity, and it could light up a lamp. It was the first battery. Nowadays a little smaller and with a sleeve around it, but the principle is the same. Just pieces of metal, with some salt or acid in between! The V on the batteries still comes from this clever doctor, Alessandro Volt.
A battery is actually a chemical factory. The sleeve (his jacket) is made of zinc. Inside the sleeve is a long stick, and further there is salt around it.
If the poles (the ends) are connected to each other, then the battery is used. The zinc and salt together make contact, electric current is created.
When the salt runs out, the battery is dead.
Photo: Visor69
