Electric battery

The volt in history

The term volt, a unit for measuring electrical potential difference and electromotive force, is also derived from Alessandro Volta' s name.

Invention of the lead acid storage battery

The next step in the evolution of electrical energy storage was the invention of the lead acid storage battery in 1859 by the French physicist Gaston Plante (18341889). This chemical battery used a liquid electrolyte, and was not easy to move. This situation changed with the development of the dry cell battery, which was based on the pioneering work done between 1867 and 1877 by Georges Leclanche (18391882) in France. In the dry cell battery, the electrolyte is a damp paste so that there is no liquid to leak out, and thus quite portable.

The alkaline storage battery

The alkaline storage battery, in common use today, was developed in 1914 by Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931). It is so called because the electrolyte is alkaline, or basic, rather than acidic. Like the electrolyte in a dry cell, it is not a liquid, so it can be easily transported.