Definition of Voltaic Cell
A voltaic cell (commonly known as a galvanic cell) is an electrochemical power source in which electrical energy is created from the activities of different chemical reactions. It contains two different metallic plates that exchange electrical charges with each other through an interconnection created by an electrolytic substance, such as salts or other acidic substances. The voltaic cell derived its name from Alessandro Volta, a scientist who is attributed to having invented the first electrical battery in the early 19th century.
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Origins
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The invention of voltaic or galvanic cells is regarded as a landmark achievement in the development of electrical batteries in use today. The idea was developed from a discovery of Luigi Galvani, who found that the interaction between two different metals (in certain arranged conditions) leads to the production of energy, known today as electricity. This theory was realized by Alessandro Volta, and he performed the experiment with two metallic plates, interconnected with each other, while immersed in an acidic substance. Eventually, the experiment became a success, leading to the invention of a voltaic cell.
Design
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A normal voltaic cell is divided into two sections. Both sections contain different metallic plates immersed in their respective sulphate solutions--for instance, zinc plate immersed in zinc sulphate solution, or copper plate immersed in copper sulphate. Both sections lay apart from each other, interconnected only by a salt bridge, which is immersed in both solutions. In this manner, metallic plates transfer their charges to their sulphate solution, which passes them to a salt bridge for delivering it to another side. Ultimately, in this assembly, a flow of charges in any direction is produced, which is often regarded as electric current.
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Working
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In an electrochemical arrangement, a battery has two ends: anode and cathode. Anode is said to be charged with positive charges, while cathode is taken as a negatively charged entity. Similarly, in a voltaic cell, the two metallic plates (according to their intrinsic positive or negative properties) take the positions of anode and cathode and transfer of charges from anode (+) to cathode (-) takes place. Both metallic plates are called electrodes. The sulphate solution is known as an electrolyte, and the entire process is called electrolysis. The amount of current produced from a cell is directly proportional to the rate of charge transfer between two plates, which is increased in acidic solution like sulphuric acids.
Types
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Different types of voltaic cell represent minor differences in their architecture and constitution, i.e., some types come with a single sulphate solution carrying both metallic plates in single container; other types carry other acidic materials acting as electrolyte instead of sulphate solutions. Major types of voltaic cells include lasagna cells, electrolytic cells, acidic battery and concentration cells. All these voltaic cells incorporate same features of producing current through an electrochemical process, but with few variations in their design and compositions.
Applications
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The basic advantage of voltaic cells is their portability, which makes them a primary choice in environments where electrical power is required in mobility. Therefore, voltaic cells are often found in automobiles, electronic equipment, urgent power batteries and manufacturing-industry applications.
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References
- Photo Credit electric a battery image by Yuri Bizgaimer from Fotolia.com
