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1 Volta, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio
SUBJECT AREA: Electricity[br]b. 18 February 1745 Como, Italyd. 5 March 1827 Como, Italy[br]Italian physicist, discoverer of a source of continuous electric current from a pile of dissimilar metals.[br]Volta had an early command of English, French and Latin, and also learned to read Dutch and Spanish. After completing studies at the Royal Seminary in Como he was involved in the study of physics, chemistry and electricity. He became a teacher of physics in his native town and in 1779 was appointed Professor of Physics at the University of Pavia, a post he held for forty years.With a growing international reputation and a wish to keep abreast of the latest developments, in 1777 he began the first of many travels abroad. A journey started in 1781 to Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France and England lasted about one year. By 1791 he had been elected to membership of many learned societies, including those in Zurich, Berlin, Berne and Paris. Volta's invention of his pile resulted from a controversy with Luigi Galvani, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bologna. Galvani discovered that the muscles of frogs' legs contracted when touched with two pieces of different metals and attributed this to a phenomenon of the animal tissue. Volta showed that the excitation was due to a chemical reaction resulting from the contact of the dissimilar metals when moistened. His pile comprised a column of zinc and silver discs, each pair separated by paper moistened with brine, and provided a source of continuous current from a simple and accessible source. The effectiveness of the pile decreased as the paper dried and Volta devised his crown of cups, which had a longer life. In this, pairs of dissimilar metals were placed in each of a number of cups partly filled with an electrolyte such as brine. Volta first announced the results of his experiments with dissimilar metals in 1800 in a letter to Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society. This letter, published in the Transactions of the Royal Society, has been regarded as one of the most important documents in the history of science. Large batteries were constructed in a number of laboratories soon after Volta's discoveries became known, leading immediately to a series of developments in electrochemistry and eventually in electromagnetism. Volta himself made little further contribution to science. In recognition of his achievement, at a meeting of the International Electrical Congress in Paris in 1881 it was agreed to name the unit of electrical pressure the "volt".[br]Principal Honours and DistinctionsFRS 1791. Royal Society Copley Medal 1794. Knight of the Iron Crown, Austria, 1806. Senator of the Realm of Lombardy 1809.Bibliography1800, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 18:744–6 (Volta's report on his discovery).Further ReadingG.Polvani, 1942, Alessandro Volta, Pisa (the best account available).B.Dibner, 1964, Alessandro Volta and the Electric Battery, New York (a detailed account).C.C.Gillispie (ed.), 1976, Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Vol. XIV, New York, pp.66–82 (includes an extensive biography).F.Soresni, 1988, Alessandro Volta, Milan (includes illustrations of Volta's apparatus, with brief text).GWBiographical history of technology > Volta, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio
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2 Volta
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3 Electricity
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Volta, Alessandro (Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio) — (18 feb. 1745, Como, Lombardía, Italia–5 mar. 1827, Como). Científico italiano. En 1775 inventó el electróforo, dispositivo usado para generar electricidad estática. Enseñó física en la Universidad de Pavía (1779–1804). Después de que Luigi… … Enciclopedia Universal
Volta, Alessandro (Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio) — born Feb. 18, 1745, Como, Lombardy died March 5, 1827, Como Italian scientist. In 1775 he invented the electrophorus, a device used to generate static electricity. He taught physics at the University of Pavia (1779–1804). After Luigi Galvani in… … Universalium
Volta , Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio — (1745–1827) Italian physicist Volta, who was born at Como in Italy, grew up in an atmosphere of aristocratic religiosity with almost all his male relations becoming priests. However, Volta decided early that his life s work lay in the study of… … Scientists
Alessandro Giuseppe Volta — Alessandro Volta Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Graf von Volta (* 18. Februar 1745 in Como, Italien; † 5. März 1827 in Camnago bei Como) war der Erfinder der Batterie. Er gilt als einer der Begründer des Zeitalters der Elektrizität. Leben… … Deutsch Wikipedia
Conte Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta — noun Italian physicist after whom the volt is named; studied electric currents and invented the voltaic pile (1745 1827) • Syn: ↑Volta, ↑Count Alessandro Volta, ↑Conte Alessandro Volta • Instance Hypernyms: ↑physicist … Useful english dictionary
Alessandro Volta — Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Graf von Volta (* 18. Februar 1745 in Como, Italien; † 5. März 1827 in Camnago bei Como) war ein italienischer Physiker. Er erfand die Batterie und gilt als einer der Begründer des Zeitalters der Elektrizität … Deutsch Wikipedia
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Antonio — Antonio. □ V. cruz de San Antonio. * * * Antonio, Julio Antonio, Manuel Antonio, Marco Antonio, Nicolás * * * (as used in expressions) Antonio Abad, san Antonio de Padua, san … Enciclopedia Universal
Alessandro Volta — For the concept car, see Toyota Alessandro Volta. Alessandro Volta Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Gerolamo Umberto Volta Born … Wikipedia
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Alessandro Volta — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Volta. Alessandro Volta Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta Naissance … Wikipédia en Français
