Alessandro (Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio) Volta - Biography, Honors

Physicist, born in Como, N Italy. He invented the electrophorus, a device to generate static electricity (1775), discovered methane gas (1778), and was appointed professor of natural philosophy at Pavia (1778–1804). Inspired by the work of his friend Luigi Galvani, Volta found that electric current is generated when two dissimilar metals come into contact, and developed the first electric battery (1800), providing future researchers with a constant source of current electricity. His name is given to the unit of electric potential, the volt.

'Count Alessandro Volta'

Born:	February 18, 1745 Como, Lombardy,Italy
Died:	March 5, 1827 Como, Lombardy,Italy
Occupation:	Physicist

Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta (February 18, 1745 - March 5, 1827) was an Italian physicist known especially for the development of the electric battery in 1800.

Biography

Volta was born and educated in Como, Lombardy (Italy).

In 1774, he became professor of physics at the Royal School in his hometown.

In 1775 he devised the electrophorus, a device that produced a static electric charge.

In 1800, as the result of a professional disagreement over the galvanic response advocated by Luigi Galvani, he developed the so-called voltaic pile, a forerunner of the electric battery, which produced a steady electric current. (The number of cells, and thus the voltage it could produce, was limited by the pressure, exerted by the upper cells, that would squeeze all of the brine out of the cardboard of the bottom cell.)

Volta entered retirement in 1819.

Honors

In honor of his work in the field of electricity, Napoleon made him a count in 1810;

Volta is buried in the city of Como in Italy;

In 1881 an important electrical unit, the volt, was named in his honor. The Toyota Alessandro Volta is named after Volta.