BU-101: When Was the Battery Invented?

One of the most remarkable and novel discoveries in the last 400 years was electricity. We might ask, “Has electricity been around that long?” The answer is yes, and perhaps much longer. Its practical use has only been at our disposal since the mid to late 1800s, and in a limited way at first. Some of the earliest public works gaining attention were streets lights in Berlin in 1882, lighting up the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 with 250,000 light bulbs, and illuminating a bridge over the river Seine during the Paris 1900 World Fair.

The use of electricity may go back further. While constructing a railway in 1936 near Baghdad, workers uncovered what appeared to be a prehistoric battery, also known as the Parthian Battery. The object dates back to the Parthian empire and is believed to be 2,000 years old. The battery consisted of a clay jar that was filled with a vinegar solution into which an iron rod surrounded by a copper cylinder was inserted. This device produced 1.1 to 2.0 volts of electricity. Figure 1 illustrates the Parthian Battery.

Figure 1: Parthian Battery.
A clay jar of a prehistoric battery holds an iron rod surrounded by a copper cylinder.
When filled with vinegar or electrolytic solution, the jar produces 1.1 to 2 volts.

Not all scientists accept the Parthian Battery as a source of energy. It is possible that the device was used for electroplating, adding a layer of gold or other precious metals to a surface. The Egyptians are said to have electroplated antimony onto copper over 4,300 years ago. Archeological evidence suggests the Babylonians were the first to discover and employ a galvanic technique in the manufacturing of jewelry by using an electrolyte based on grape juice to gold-plate stoneware. The Parthians, who ruled Baghdad (ca. 250 BC), may have used batteries to electroplate silver.

One of the earliest methods to generate electricity in modern times was by creating a static charge. In 1660, Otto von Guericke constructed an electrical machine using a large sulfur globe which, when rubbed and turned, attracted feathers and small pieces of paper. Guericke was able to prove that the sparks generated were electrical in nature.

In 1744, Ewald Georg von Kleist developed the Leyden jar that stored static charge in a glass jar that was lined with metallic foil on the inside and outside of the container. Many scientists, including Peter van Musschenbroek, professor at Leiden, the Netherlands, thought that electricity resembled a fluid that could be captured in a bottle. They did not know that the two metallic foils formed a capacitor. When charged up with high voltage, the Leyden jar gave the gentlemen an unexplainable hefty shock when they touched the metallic foil.

The first practical use of static electricity was the “electric pistol” that Alessandro Volta (1745–1827) invented. He thought of providing long-distance communications, albeit only one Boolean bit. An iron wire supported by wooden poles was to be strung from Como to Milan, Italy. At the receiving end, the wire would terminate in a jar filled with methane gas. To signal a coded event, an electrical spark would be sent by wire to detonate the jar. This communications link was never built. Figure 2 shows a pencil rendering of Alessandro Volta.

Figure 2: Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery.
Volta’s discovery of the decomposition of water by an electrical current laid the foundation of electrochemistry.

In 1791, while working at Bologna University, Luigi Galvani discovered that the muscle of a frog would contract when touched by a metallic object. This phenomenon became known as animal electricity. Prompted by these experiments, Volta initiated a series of experiments using zinc, lead, tin and iron as positive plates (cathode); and copper, silver, gold and graphite as negative plates (anode). The interest in galvanic electricity soon became widespread.

Early Batteries

Volta discovered in 1800 that certain fluids would generate a continuous flow of electrical power when used as a conductor. This discovery led to the invention of the first voltaic cell, more commonly known as battery. Volta learned further that the voltage would increase when voltaic cells were stacked on top of each other. Figure 3.1 and 3.2 illustrate such a series connection.

Figure 3.1: Volta’s experiments with the electric battery in 1796.
Silver (A) and zinc (Z) metals are immersed in cups filled with electrolyte and connected in series.


Figure 3.2: Volta’s experiments with the electric battery in 1796.
Silver and zinc electrodes are connected in series, separated by paper soaked with electrolyte.

Volta’s experiments with the electric battery in 1796.

Metals in a battery have different electron affinities. Volta noticed that the voltage potential of dissimilar metals became stronger the farther apart the affinity numbers moved. The first number in the metals listed below demonstrates the affinity to attract electrons; the second is the oxidation state.

  • Zinc = 1.6 / -0.76 V
  • Lead = 1.9 / -0.13 V
  • Tin = 1.8 / -1.07 V
  • Iron = 1.8 / -0.04 V
  • Copper = 1.9 / 0.159 V
  • Silver = 1.9 / 1.98 V
  • Gold = 2.4 / 1.83 V
  • Carbon = 2.5 / 0.13 V

The metals determine the battery voltage; they were separated with moist paper soaked in salt water.

In the same year, Volta released his discovery of a continuous source of electricity to the Royal Society of London. No longer were experiments limited to a brief display of sparks that lasted a fraction of a second; an endless stream of electric current now seemed possible.

France was one of the first nations to officially recognize Volta’s discoveries. This was during a time when France was approaching the height of scientific advancements. New ideas were welcomed with open arms as they helped to support of the country’s political agenda. In a series of lectures, Volta addressed the Institute of France. Napoleon Bonaparte participated in the experiments, drawing sparks from the battery, melting a steel wire, discharging an electric pistol and decomposing water into its elements (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Volta’s experimentations at the Institute of France.
Volta’s discoveries so impressed the world that in November 1800 the Institute of France invited him to lecture at events in which Napoleon Bonaparte participated. Napoleon helped with the experiments, drawing sparks from the battery, melting a steel wire, discharging an electric pistol and decomposing water into its elements.

In 1800, Sir Humphry Davy, inventor of the miner’s safety lamp, began testing the chemical effects of electricity and found out that decomposition occurred when passing electrical current through substances. This process was later called electrolysis.
He made new discoveries by installing the world’s largest and most powerful electric battery in the vaults of the Royal Institution of London, connecting the battery to charcoal electrodes produced the first electric light. Witnesses reported that his voltaic arc lamp produced “the most brilliant ascending arch of light ever seen.”

In 1802, William Cruickshank designed the first electric battery for mass production. He arranged square sheets of copper with equal-sized sheets of zinc placed into a long rectangular wooden box and soldered together. Grooves in the box held the metal plates in position. The sealed box was then filled with an electrolyte of brine, or watered-down acid. This resembled the flooded battery that is still with us today. Figure 5 illustrates his battery workshop.

Figure 5: Cruickshank and the first flooded battery.
William Cruickshank, an English chemist, built a battery of electric cells by joining zinc and copper plates in a wooden box filled with an electrolyte solution. This flooded design had the advantage of not drying out with use and provided more energy than Volta’s disc arrangement.

Invention of the Rechargeable Battery

In 1836, John F. Daniell, an English chemist, developed an improved battery that produced a steadier current than earlier attempts to store electrical energy. In 1859, the French physician Gaston Planté invented the first rechargeable battery based on lead acid, a system that is still used today. Until then, all batteries were primary, meaning they could not be recharged.

In 1899, Waldmar Jungner from Sweden invented the nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery that used nickel as the positive electrode (cathode) and cadmium as the negative (anode). High material costs compared to lead limited its use. Two years later, Thomas Edison replaced cadmium with iron, and this battery was called nickel-iron (NiFe). Low specific energy, poor performance at low temperature and high self-discharge limited the success of the nickel-iron battery. It was not until 1932 that Schlecht and Ackermann achieved higher load currents and improved the longevity of NiCd by inventing the sintered pole plate. In 1947, Georg Neumann succeeded in sealing the cell.

For many years, NiCd was the only rechargeable battery for portable applications. In the 1990s, environmentalists in Europe became concerned about the harm incurred when NiCd is carelessly disposed. The Battery Directive 2006/66/EC now restricts the sale of NiCd batteries in the European Union except for specialty industrial use for which no replacement is suitable. The alternative is nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH), a more environmentally friendly battery that is similar to NiCd.

Most research activities today revolve around improving lithium-based systems, first commercialized by Sony in 1991. Besides powering cellular phones, laptops, digital cameras, power tools and medical devices, Li-ion is also used for electric vehicles and satellites. The battery has a number of benefits, most notably its high specific energy, simple charging, low maintenance and being environmentally benign.

Electricity Through Magnetism

Generating electricity through magnetism came relatively late. In 1820, André-Marie Ampère (1775–1836) noticed that wires carrying an electric current were at times attracted to, and at other times repelled from, one another. In 1831, Michael Faraday (1791–1867) demonstrated how a copper disc provided a constant flow of electricity while revolving in a strong magnetic field. Faraday, assisting Humphry Davy and his research team, succeeded in generating an endless electrical force as long as the movement between a coil and magnet continued. This led to the invention of the electric generator, as well as the electric motor by reversing the process.

Shortly thereafter, transformers were developed that converted alternating current (AC) to any desired voltage. In 1833, Faraday established the foundation of electromagnetism on which Faraday’s law is based. It relates to electromagnetism found in transformers, inductors and many types of electrical motors and generators. Once the relationship with magnetism was understood, large generators were built to produce a steady flow of electricity. Motors followed that enabled mechanical movement and Thomas Edison’s light bulb appeared to conquer darkness.

Early electrical plants produced direct current (DC) with distribution limitations of 3km (~2 miles) from the plant. In around 1886, the Niagara Falls Power Company (NFPC) offered $100,000 for a method to transmit electricity over a long distance. After much controversy and failed proposals, the world’s brightest minds met in London, England, and the prize was awarded to Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), a Serbian immigrant who created the AC transmission system. NRPC with Tesla as a consultant built a multi-phase AC system, delivering power from new Niagara power station as far as Buffalo, NY.

Figure 6: Nikola Tesla (1856–1943).
Serbian-American physicist, inventor and engineer best known for alternating current supply systems and rotating magnetic fields.

DC systems run on low voltage and require heavy wires; AC could be transformed to higher voltages for transmission over light wires and then reduced for use. Older folks supported DC while younger geniuses gravitated towards AC. Thomas Edison was dead set against AC, giving danger by electrocution as a reason.

The disagreement continued, but AC became the accepted norm that was also supported by Europe. George Westinghouse, an American inventor and manufacturer, began developing the Tesla system to the displeasure of Thomas Edison.

To everyone’s amazement, AC power lit up the Chicago World Fair in 1893 (Figure 7). Westinghouse then built three large generators to transform energy from the Niagara Falls to electricity. Three-phase AC technology developed by Tesla enabled the transmission of electric power over great distances cheaply. Electricity was thus made widely available to humanity to improve the quality of life.

Figure 7: 250,000 light bulbs illuminate the Chicago World Fair in 1893, also known as Chicago's World Columbian Exposition.[1]
The success of the electric light led to building three large hydro generators at Niagara Falls.

Telecommunications by wire that was strung along railways operated mostly by primary batteries that needed frequent replacement. Telex, an early means to transmit data, was digital in that the batteries activated a series of relays. The price to send a message was based on the number of relay clicks required.

In the mid-1800s, telegraphy opened new careers for bright young men. Staff operating these devices moved into the growing middle class, far removed from mills and mines burdened with labor, dirt and danger. Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie recalled his early days as a telegraphy messenger: Alfred Hitchcock started his career as an estimator before becoming an illustrator.

The invention of the electronic vacuum tube in the early 1900s formed the significant next step towards high technology. It enabled frequency oscillators, signal amplifications and digital switching. This led to radio broadcasting in the 1920s and the first digital computer, called ENIAC, in 1946. The invention of the transistor in 1947 paved the way for the arrival of the integrated circuit 10 years later, and the microprocessor that ushered in the Information Age. This forever changed the way we live and work.

Humanity has become dependent on electricity and with increased mobility, people gravitate towards portable power involving the battery. As the battery improves further, more tasks will be made possible with this portable power source.


References

[1]: Goodyear Archival Collection. "World's Columbian Exposition: Grand Basin, Chicago, United States", 1893. Brooklyn Museum Archives

Last Updated: 22-Feb-2022
Batteries In A Portable World
Batteries In A Portable World

The material on Battery University is based on the indispensable new 4th edition of "Batteries in a Portable World - A Handbook on Rechargeable Batteries for Non-Engineers" which is available for order through Amazon.com.

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Allan Delphi

The battery has been around since the 1700's and innovation in the 1900's (1899) developed rechargeable batteries. They used Nickle as the cathode and cadmium as the anode. Volta noticed that the voltage potential of dissimilar metals became stronger the farther apart the affinity numbers moved. Nickola Tesla noticed DC systems run on low voltage and require heavy wires; AC could be transformed to higher voltages for transmission over light wires and then reduced for use.

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On June 13, 2019, Mark W wrote:
Looks like an error was made in the following statement: "In 1833, Faraday established the foundation of electrochemistry on which Faraday’s law is based." Should "electrochemistry" instead be "electromagnetism"? Electrochemistry refers to the generation of electricity in a battery. Faraday's law is about electromagnetic induction.
On December 3, 2018, ????? wrote:
I can't believe that even know that the Parthian Battery has a lot of stuff in it to make power, it just makes 1.1 to 2 volts!
On November 29, 2018, Zohaib Hyder wrote:
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On August 11, 2018, C Thomas wrote:
The so-called "Baghdad Battery" wasn't a battery, or an electro-plating device It was a scroll case
On May 14, 2018, emily wrote:
i dont know how to read but this seems neat and interesting.
On April 16, 2018, Salah Mhmd wrote:
Very impressive piece of history that has an impact on future of everything! Thank you for the invaluable compilation!
On December 23, 2017, Ravi Aluganti wrote:
A very good history of 'the story of battery', hope the same simplicity is maintained in moving forward to the present battery technology.
On November 28, 2017, christian feliz wrote:
great job especially the infomation like i said good job
On November 14, 2017, James cross wrote:
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On November 6, 2017, A Student wrote:
Wow. That's a lot of info. Wonder how long it would take for me to summarize this into one paragraph...
On November 6, 2017, A confused person wrote:
How am I even supposed to summarize the history of the battery into one paragraph for a science fair project? THERE'S LIKE A MILLION INVENTORS THAT IMPROVED THE BATTERY AND LIKE A TRILLION DATES RELATED TO THE SIMPLE BATTERY.
On September 15, 2017, Gregg on yt wrote:
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On July 10, 2017, Ekansh Pathak wrote:
Very nice article. I loved it.
On February 16, 2017, David Fink wrote:
The transistor was not "discovered"; it was "invented."
On January 25, 2017, Dinesh Kumar Hattangadi wrote:
It is heartening to know the scientific progress from Biblic times till to date where we are dabbling with AI,robots & driverles vehicals! Our ancients dreamt these through fables of Gods,Godeses & celestials.
On January 9, 2017, Gloria Hawkins wrote:
Thank you for a well-written history of the battery. This helped my grandson understand the background for his science project.
On November 22, 2016, sapphire wrote:
#ThisIsAwesome
On November 14, 2016, Max May wrote:
what progress is being made using aluminium. Also the advantage using Lithium over lead is weight.
On August 22, 2016, Kent Cotterell wrote:
Their nickel-iron batteries lasted them over 100 years? Wow. I don't know if I should congratulate them or their batteries.
On August 13, 2016, Dave Pickell wrote:
Just a note of appreciation on your overview. Love the Parthian Jar! Dave
On August 5, 2016, JAI SRIVASTAVA wrote:
EXCELLENT STORY
On June 30, 2016, Samuel wrote:
Very informative post. But there are few corrections Anode referes to positive plate and cathode refers to negative positive plate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anode
On May 18, 2016, david bradbury wrote:
Thanks, such good reading, i did as a small child experiment in granddads shed, not sure how many chickens died but i did make my very own first battery soon to be followed by my own electric motor. your stuff is so good to read. Thank you, david bradbury
On May 18, 2016, Dude wrote:
Volta was definitely a smart man!
On February 2, 2016, ............. wrote:
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On February 1, 2016, JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMNE wrote:
TOO LONG DIDN'T READ
On January 19, 2016, kingjoe wrote:
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On December 25, 2015, Luis Grau wrote:
Great site. A comment on terminology: cathode = negative pole; anode = positive pole. Best regards
On December 22, 2015, Taylor wrote:
Batteries will change the current world,the vehicles,the electric device...will be upsided by the most developed and innovative batteries.What I worry is the important technology mostly hold in Japan and Korea.What has Europe and America done?The best and the most forwarded technology must hold in Europe and America,because in god we trust!
On November 29, 2015, Andrew Charnley wrote:
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On September 28, 2015, David Bradbury wrote:
Considering the time scale we have had the electric battery I find it diff to understand why the storage cell is not more efficient and reliable if it had been as I say above perhaps we would have a much cleaner environment with less fossil fuels being spewed into the environment, No I still consider we have not placed sufficient weight upon the battery to be more reliable and cleaner for all. david bradbury
On July 24, 2015, Dent wrote:
HI am not aware of any mention of a batery in my bibles. King James or NIV. No one is even sure if the device called the Bagdad battery is really a battery. After years of reading about it I'm not sure what it is myself. Good luck!
On July 24, 2015, Sonia Fernandez wrote:
Is the building of a battery mentioned in the bible and if so where in the bible can I find the info.
On May 22, 2015, theexterminator wrote:
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On May 17, 2015, Dent wrote:
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On May 14, 2015, Vignesh wrote:
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On April 24, 2015, Dent wrote:
I sure enjoy this site. I is nice to come back and read all the new contributions over the years. Thanks for keeping this site up for all to enjoy! Cheers all. Dent
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On December 2, 2014, qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm wrote:
I'm missing what lead him to invent the first battery. does any one know.
On November 15, 2014, Lodewijk Langeweg wrote:
What I'm missing in the descriotion of the invention of the battery is the: "Leyden jar" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leyden_jar With photograph (Leiden as it is now spelled is a city in The Netherlands) and "Leidse fles" means "Bottle of Leiden": http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidse_fles
On November 1, 2014, kariah johnson wrote:
I need to know how batteries r in important to the society and it is not telling me so how can i do get the answer.
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On October 12, 2014, Jyothis wrote:
Hai,This article is awesome.It was helpful. I have a doubt regarding this by the way.I understand that salt bridge is Na2SO4 salt.When Oxidation happens, Zinc atom loses its 2 electron which goes to the external circuit and zn2+ ion will be in the zinc sulphate solution.Zinc ion reacts with SO4 2- ions from the salt bridge and the electrolyte would be neutral.Now in the cathode part Copper from copper sulphate solution combines with the 2 electrons from the anode and copper metal deposites on the cathode leaving soa 2- ions.This makes the electrolyte at cathode negative in charge. 1.What happens to SO4 2- ions,does it combine with Na2+ ions in the salt bridge turning the solution a mixture of Na2SO4 and Cu2SO4 solution? 2.Untill what condition does the redox reaction prolong,Is it untill zinc totally gets consumed or at a condition where there is no more Na2+ or SO4 2- ions in Salt bridge to balance the electolytes?
On August 26, 2014, Julie wrote:
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On August 9, 2014, kiran wrote:
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On July 17, 2014, Jackson wrote:
Very informative Good useful information,
On June 26, 2014, Thomas Soares wrote:
We need to move on and get rid of batteries at all ! There is Free Energy in the vacuum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect And for practical examples: http://www.free-energy-info.co.uk/Chapter3.pdf
On May 24, 2014, IAN wrote:
how do you determine the size of a battery for your car? what size is needed to run lights,wipers,stereos etc, how do i work this out? regards Ian
On April 3, 2014, yolo wrote:
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On March 17, 2014, chrisb wrote:
thanks for the useful information, very informative
On February 19, 2014, Andrea Alvaro wrote:
i think we need more information about batteries for our projects.
On June 13, 2013, Navraj Phulara wrote:
I think ,we produce electric charge by means of pressure. If we able to move the electron in the material by means of pressure, then this concept of flow of electron lead us to the concept of electricity. I have spend a lot of time to think about this concept.I did some research work about this. If this is possible , the universe will be shining.
On April 23, 2013, Walter wrote:
We found the same kind of battery that Tesla is using. Also, we believe to know the way they use it. For the moment it its tried in a Prius2. You must understand that, as long as it is not commercialized, we cannot release this "secret". Until soon, Walter
On April 22, 2013, Subramanyam wrote:
It is really a great idea to provide all the information regarding batteries and its basics to educate people and to have innovative ideas to go further in devoloping batteries in future. Great..
On March 24, 2013, JABBAR Gargash wrote:
Thank you for this site
On February 13, 2013, Walter wrote:
Adnan, Until now we used 3 V / 60 Ah times 78 = 234 V for a Prius II. Because of the fact that the weight was 160 kg, it was absolutely needed to replace the springs in the rear. Nevertheless the kit was working very well. Now, my friend the technician, is looking for lighter batteries at a reasonable price. We hope to find that soon. Kind regards ||||| Walter
On February 13, 2013, ADNAN BHUTTA wrote:
I am a novice in this field, but because I am getting involved in developing a battery-system with management and loader in order to modify a hybrid car into an electric car. The idea is using a series of batteries to get 150 V and the necessary Ampères to be able to drive the car. What I read so-far is improving my knowledge and I am looking forward to learn how to get the required power. Kind regards,
On December 11, 2012, Michael wrote:
nice now i know When was the Battery Invented? :D
On December 1, 2012, Walter Waes wrote:
I am a novice in this field, but because I am getting involved in developing a battery-system with management and loader in order to modify a hybrid car into an electric car. The idea is using a series of batteries to get 150 V and the necessary Ampères to be able to drive the car. What I read so-far is improving my knowledge and I am looking forward to learn how to get the required power. Kind regards, Walter
On August 1, 2012, Chulumanco wrote:
why have so many different battery technologies been developed?
On July 18, 2012, ayub wrote:
well done ! keep it up. please do indepth research on present and upcoming lithium batteries, much obliged
On June 1, 2012, N.Rao wrote:
very informative for learners
On May 3, 2012, Dent wrote:
Does anyone know a place in the states when you can get new Edison Batteries? (nickel Iron) I would like to get some to use in a solar charging station. So many people I have talked to that have some old one still in use after a hundred years love them. They found them in an old wind mill charging station int he mid west and cleaned them up and put them back to use. They do not have the storage capasity of lead acid, but they last forever if taken care of properly.
On April 21, 2012, Dent wrote:
There is a lot of great information right here on this web site about what you can use for the chemicals/electrolytes that are used in a battery. If you read through this page here you will be able to build a simple battery. You can use lemon juice, vinegar, bleach and other pretty safe electrolytes. They do not make as much voltage, but they will power an LED. I am not sure what you are trying to do, but I wish you luck and I hope I have helped. If you have any more questions, just ask. There are some bright people here who I am sure would enjoy helping. Cheers!
On April 21, 2012, Ahmed wrote:
i want information of battery positive and nagative cells making for test so how i mak thr chamicals
On April 17, 2012, Dent wrote:
Well now, good questions. There are a few opinions that may not align with some of the proof that comes from other countries. Many of who did what and what time to whom, so keep that in mind. It could be argued the continuous battery was invented in Iraq back in 1000 ad, it just depends on who thinks that thing is a battery that was found. These are what I think. Most all of the batteries chemistry you are talking about here were developed in the 1800s and brought into production in the 1900s. 1 Alessandro Volta 2 voltaic pile 3 Michael Faraday and magnetic fields/electric motors There can't be enough said about this old boy. He is the father of just about everything electronic. One who is interested in the history of electricity can just about take everything back to Faraday. Were not worthy! Were not worthy! 4 mercury, great battery, bad new for the environment. 5 longevity and higher voltage Here is one for you. What battery has been reintroduced in the last few years as something new to the consumer? Who came up with the chemistry? Cheers!
On March 22, 2012, student AAAAA wrote:
Describe the year and the person who was first credited with creating continuous electricity. Describe the apparatus that was used to create this electricity. A very important name in the history of electricity conducted experiments in 1831. Name the man and what was significant about these experiments. During World War II, the carbon-zinc cell was replaced in harsh climates by what type of cell? Give a short description of the reason for the development of the alkaline cell which is so commonly found today.
On March 12, 2012, bee wrote:
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On February 20, 2012, manizheh wrote:
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On January 18, 2012, Adarsh wrote:
this is the exact webpage to know about the invention of battery
On November 4, 2011, Dent wrote:
I forgot one important thing about why Edison was looking for a new battery. He was involved in promoting electric cars and because of the lead acid batteries spilling on the people in the car they were becoming un-popular. Using sulfuric acid is hard on skin when the batteries leaked and much worse in case of a crash, as it spilled onto the occupants. He needed a battery that did not harm people and Volta’s nickel-iron battery worked pretty well. Volta failed to patent the design and Edison did, and that we say was that. In my reading over the years it seems poor ol’ Volta did not get credit for several of his ideas. Oh well, it sure isn’t the first time one failed to get credit for their ideas in the electrical industry. One big one come to mind: Marconi is thought to be the father of the wireless radio, when it was Nicola Tesla’s ideas that were used by Marconi to create wireless. I believe Marconi used three of Tesla’s patents in his device. I took until the 1940s to get the courts to settle that fight and Tesla won, however it was a little to late, as he passed away shortly before the decision.
On October 10, 2011, manu ks wrote:
informative nice. . . .
On October 7, 2011, Dent wrote:
In 1901 Thomas A. Edison brought out one of Volta's battery designs calling it the Edison battery, that was one heck of a battery. I often wonder why we do not use it today in our solar/wind/water storage applications. It lasts forever if taken care of and it only lacks a small percentage of power when compared to a lead acid battery. I have heard stories of these batteries lasting for over a hundred years with proper maintenance. Try to get one tenth that out of any other storage device. They are no longer made in the USA, you have to go to China to get one. They are safer and more Eco friendly than lead acid. SO why?? Does anyone really know? I know it is nice to save space and have more power, but considering how long they last and they are similar to lead acid as far a power output I wouldn't mind putting in a few more batteries in my unit to have some last for a life time. My dad said they used them on the windmills in the early 1900s through the 1950s in the mid-west as storage batteries where people did not have electricity to run well pumps and other farming uses, houses any kind of electrical need. He said they need proper maintenance and clean electrolyte and they will last forever. They never replaced any when he was growing up so he had no idea how old they were. There is not much written about these batteries I can find as far as people using them now-a-days. Cheers all!
On September 29, 2011, MIKE HUNT wrote:
NICE
On August 26, 2011, tim bertram wrote:
hi mate
On August 9, 2011, Peter Koch wrote:
You wrote, "One of the earliest public works gaining attention was an electrically illuminated bridge over the river Seine during the 1900 World Fair in Paris." Even earlier was the lighting of 250,000 electric light bulbs at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago by George Westinghouse using the polyphase AC generation methods developed by Nikola Tesla. There are many photos of this on the internet, e.g., http://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-1B46&storyId=1-9-1C . Perhaps you were referring to electric illumination with use of energy stored in batteries.
On June 24, 2011, Love it wrote:
Really informative. Keep it up guys!
On April 28, 2011, david wrote:
hey if the battery wasent enventid noeone would have nothing
On March 22, 2011, Brandon wrote:
This article has been updated as of March 17th with new information extracted from the upcoming third edition of our book Batteries in a Portable World. Enjoy! Brandon
On March 20, 2011, AJ wrote:
Nice collection of basic information
On March 18, 2011, wg cdr p janardhana wrote:
Excellent information at on place. lot of thanks to authors.
On March 15, 2011, ashok wrote:
Superb
On February 22, 2011, Hussein wrote:
The first electric cell discovered in the world was in Babylon in Iraq.
On February 20, 2011, Giuseppe Sturiale wrote:
Your web site makes me understand that being jealous of one’s own knowledge is an obsolete behavior. Nowadays leading entrepreneurs need an educated customer base and have to dedicate time and resources to make them well informed. Thank you for your activity. g.s.
On January 21, 2011, Narongchai wrote:
How about the story of the solar cell?
On January 15, 2011, Michael A. Buttitta wrote:
There is a book selling company,with loads of forgotten information,including a book on lead/acid batteries,with a ton of info for around $6.00 US.Lindsay Publications Inc./www.lindsaybks.com /PO Box 538,Bradley Ill. 60915.This is the place to find out anything you can build,or tinker with.Doesn't cost anything to look and they send out catalogs for free,for a while until you buy something.Good luck guys.
On December 28, 2010, Anthony wrote:
A good knowledgable site where good information is gotten from
On December 20, 2010, inbasekaran wrote:
More information on fuel cells need to be updated
On December 20, 2010, inbasekaran wrote:
Good collection of knowlwedge from ancient times to modern time
On December 15, 2010, ufiq wrote:
basic knowlwdge for advance in next day
On December 13, 2010, jim wiggins wrote:
Putting together a class on basic mechanics for fire fighters and your web site looks like it's full of the information needed for this task
On November 19, 2010, Muhammad Azeem Shaikh wrote:
very site
On November 14, 2010, Mahesh D Goudar wrote:
Good Notes
On October 15, 2010, kaushik ghosh wrote:
Dispite of the fact that Battery Bank is used as a back up source for UPS SYSTEMS, which forms my engineering field I consider that much of the design involved in static UPS depends upon knowledge of battery. Please keep me involved with your excellent BATTERY UNIVERSITY SITE.