How does Volta's battery relate to modern portable power?
My voltaic pile was the progenitor of all modern electrical batteries. Its ability to generate a continuous current, rather than the fleeting discharges known previously, allowed for the sustained operation of scientific instruments and, eventually, countless devices. While the materials and construction have evolved immensely, the fundamental principle of using dissimilar materials separated by an electrolyte to create an electrical potential and drive current remains the same. It was the first step towards the portable power that now underpins so much of our world.
Ask Alessandro Volta the follow-up →