Count Alessandro Volta Biography

Known for his extraordinary work in the field of electricity, Volta invented the voltaic pile, which became the world’s first electric battery; this invention of his ushered in the age of electricity. He made several discoveries in meteorology, pneumatics and electrostatics that earned him recognition and fame throughout the world. The unit of electromotive force called as a ‘volt’, has been named in his honor. His research in varied fields of science paved the way and inspired numerous future innovators, who based on this principals developed new path breaking technologies. Volta’s career as physicist is studded with several achievements, such as the discovery of methane gas, as a result of his chemistry experiments. He did not stop here but also developed a special glass container, which could contain explosion of several gases. Most scholars believe that after Galileo, who preceded Volta by around century and a half, he brought about the next big scientific revival in Italy. As a society, today we owe a great debt of gratitude towards Volta, as his invention “battery” has and still is playing a significant role in modernizing our world.