Brief biography volt

Alessandro Volta - it is difficult to imagine modern civilization without such a “little thing” as a battery for gourmets of terminology - “galvanic element” or a battery. They can be of different shapes and sizes produced by different firms - from Sony to Duracell, but the usual lanterns and hours, phones and cameras, players and laptops do not do without them.

Their regular use and widespread distribution creates the feeling that batteries are the same part of reality as, say, mineral water or sunlight. However, the “birth” of the first battery occurred by historical standards relatively recently - about the years ago. And about who, thanks to whom this significant event happened, modestly resembles the Latin letter V, which adorns most of them.

He was the fourth child of the Catholic priest Filippo Volta and his unspoken spouse, the count's daughter of Maddalena. Parents were in no hurry to study the son of his son: at first, for almost three years, he falls into the care of the nurse, hired to take care of the newborn, and then, seven years later, when his father died, ends up in the house of Uncle Alexander, a cathedral canon of the Diocesan Cathedral of the Diocesan Cathedral.

They say that he pronounced the first words only at four years old, and fully spoke only to seven. Otherwise, he looks like an ordinary boy - cheerful, lively and good -natured. A serious educational program awaited in the house of Uncle's nephew. Almost everything that the priest knew for himself, he tried and not without success to convey to the young Volta. The future scientist assimilates history and arithmetic, art and Latin quickly and without excessive efforts.

The uncle does not skimp and generously supplies his student with books, which he carefully studies. In addition to theoretical knowledge, Alessandro learns to work with his hands: already in childhood, he masters the art of making thermometers and barometers, adopting it from his husband of his nurse, whom he periodically visits. Moreover, his curiosity and independence important qualities for the future experimenter pushes the young man into his own research.

One of them almost became fatal: trying to unravel the secret of a specific gloss of water in one of the nearby sources, Alessandro fell into the water and choked. A peasant came to the aid of a drowning man, fortunately at that time nearby, and Volta was saved. At the age of 12, Volta goes to the philosophy class of the College of the Order of the Jesuits in his native Como, where he will spend 4 years.

Here his abilities in rhetoric and interest in natural sciences will appear. A year after admission to the collegium, he was impressed by the Galley comet that again appeared in the sky. Now he is passionate about the works of Isaac Newton on mechanics and Benjamin Franklin in electricity. Reading books is not in vain: in the city, from the age of 29, Volta begins the career of the teacher.

First, he teaches physics at the royal school of Como, then he becomes a professor at physics at the University of Pavia one of the best in the then Italy, and after - the dean of the philosopher's faculty in Padua. Although not all scientists were also talented lecturers, Volta managed to combine his own research and successful teaching. Students gathered at his lectures from all over Italy and even from other European countries.

Having learned from the works of Benjamin Franklin about the “flame air”, Volta is looking for him in Italy. As a result, in November, mysterious gas turned out to be methane. The scientist notes that the methane burns well. Soon, Volta demonstrates gas burners and inflammation of methane using an electric spark. Volta married relatively late - at 49 years old. His lover was the aristocrat Teresa overheat.

Together with her, they gave birth and raised three sons - Giovanni, Flaminio and Zanino. The most significant, from a scientific point of view, the event in the life of Volta occurred in the city today this year is considered the beginning of the era of galvanic elements or, if you like, the era of batteries. It all started with the fact that the scientist placed two metal plates in a jar with acid - zinc and copper.

By connecting them with wire, he noticed that gas bubbles are formed near the copper plate, and the zinc plate is dissolved. Moreover, it turned out that an electric current flows through the wire. To enhance the effect and for greater convenience, the volt collects the following design: copper and zinc rings of only 20 pairs, separated by salty water or acid solution with layers of cloth or paper, are connected to a vertical cylinder about half a meter high.

The resulting device went down in history as “Volta Pillars” - the first chemical source of electric current. It is no coincidence that the unit of voltage measurement introduced into the city of Voltova Pillage marked the beginning of the era of electricity and brought Volta to the mass of honors and awards. Among them-the received in the city even say that Napoleon, once going to the library of the Academy of Sciences, saw a laurel wreath there with the words "Great Voltaire".The emperor wiped the last letters, creating an alternative version of the inscription: "Great Volta." In addition to the detection of methane and the creation of the “Volta pillar”, the Volta inventions include: resin electros, electrometer, sensitive electroscope with straws, condenser, as well as the idea of ​​creating an electric telegraph to transmit signals over long distances.

At 74, Volta leaves teaching and settles in his native Como, where after 8 years - March 5, the scientist was a Christian all his life and regularly visited the Catholic Church. For some time he even taught Christian teachings to children in the temple of San Dadninus in his hometown. In one of his lectures, he notes: “No, I cannot doubt my convinction and fidelity of the religion that I confess, which is the Ecumenical and Apostolic, in which I have been born and educated, which surrounds me outside and lives inside me.

I myself am guilty of many sins, but thanks to the special mercy of God, I never left faith in anything. In any case, I am ready to kneel and praise the Lord with an unshakable faith. ”