Alessandro Volta

electricity · invention · chemistry · science history

Invented the voltaic pile. In 1799, Volta created the first electric battery by stacking discs of zinc and copper separated by salt water. This simple invention showed that electricity could be generated chemically, which was a huge discovery at the time.

Proved electricity's true source. Most scientists thought only living creatures could produce electricity. Volta's battery proved them wrong by making electricity from metals and chemicals alone, changing science forever.

Shared his discovery with the world. Volta wrote a detailed letter to the Royal Society in London describing his experiments, and it was published in 1800. This got scientists everywhere excited to try similar experiments.

Sparked electrochemistry. His invention inspired many other scientists to conduct experiments with electricity and chemicals. This led to the birth of an entirely new field of science called electrochemistry.

Discovered methane too. Besides inventing the battery, Volta also discovered methane, a colorless gas that we now know is an important source of energy and a greenhouse gas.