
4 0 c m
31cm
actual image size: 23cm x 32cm
Description
Engraving by Ambroise Tardieu, c 1820, after an original work by Nicolo Bettoni, c 1800. Count Alesandro Giuseppe Anastasio Volta (1745-1827) was the inventor of the voltaic pile, an early battery and the first source of current electricity. It consisted of two different metals, separated by chemicals in order to enable a flow of electricity. In 1775, he invented the electrophorus, a precursor of the induction machine, and in 1777 he invented an 'inflammable air' electric pistol. The SI (international standard) unit of electromotive force, the volt (V), is named after him.
Image Details
Image Ref.
10400378
© Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library