voltaic cell

n (General Physics) another name for primary cell

vol·ta·ic cell

(vŏl-tā′ĭk) A device that produces an electric current by means of an irreversible chemical reaction that causes ions to form at one electrode and flow toward another electrode. The electrodes are made of different metals and are immersed in a reactive solution of electrolytes. Car batteries are voltaic cells. Compare electrolytic cell.

Thesaurus

Noun

voltaic cell - an electric cell that generates an electromotive force by an irreversible conversion of chemical to electrical energy; cannot be rechargedgalvanic cell, primary cellanode - the negatively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies currentcathode - the positively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies currentelectric cell, cell - a device that delivers an electric current as the result of a chemical reactionLeclanche cell - voltaic cell that produces approximately 1.5 voltsmercury cell - a primary cell consisting of a zinc anode and a cathode of mercury oxide and an electrolyte of potassium hydroxidestandard cell - a primary cell used as a standard of electromotive forcegalvanic battery, voltaic battery - battery consisting of a number of voltaic cells arranged in series or parallelwet cell - a primary voltaic cell having a liquid electrolyteelectrolytic cell - a cell containing an electrolyte in which an applied voltage causes a reaction to occur that would not occur otherwise (such as the breakdown of water into hydrogen and oxygen)

voltaic cell

voltaic cell,

a simple device with which chemical energy is converted into electrical energy. Two dissimilar metals (e.g., copper and zinc) are immersed in an electrolyte (e.g., a dissolved sulfate). If the metals are connected by an external circuit, one metal is reduced (i.e., gains electrons) while the other metal is oxidized (i.e., loses electrons). In the example above, copper is reduced and zinc is oxidized. The difference in the oxidation potentials of the two metals provides the electric power of the cell. The voltaic cell is sometimes also called the galvanic cell. The names refer to the 18th-century Italian scientists Alessandro VoltaVolta, Alessandro, Conte
, 1745–1827, Italian physicist. He was professor of physics at the Univ. of Pavia from 1779 and became famous for his work in electricity. Napoleon I made him a count and a senator of the kingdom of Lombardy.
..... Click the link for more information. and Luigi GalvaniGalvani, Luigi
, 1737–98, Italian physician. He was professor of anatomy from 1775 at the Univ. of Bologna and was noted as a surgeon and for research in comparative anatomy.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Voltaic Cell

a galvanic element that has electrodes (plates of copper—positive—and zinc—negative) and an electrolyte composed of a solution of sodium chloride or sulfuric acid; its electromotive force is 1.0 V. The voltaic cell was created during experiments carried out by A. Volta in 1792-94 to investigate electric phenomena occurring in a circuit consisting of two different metals and an electrolyte. The voltaic cell, essentially the first chemical source of current, was widely used in laboratory work at the beginning of the 19th century.

voltaic cell

[vōl′tā·ik ′sel] (electricity) A primary cell consisting of two dissimilar metal electrodes in a solution that acts chemically on one or both of them to produce a voltage.

voltaic cell

noun

Synonyms for voltaic cell

noun an electric cell that generates an electromotive force by an irreversible conversion of chemical to electrical energy

Synonyms

galvanic cell
primary cell

Related Words

anode
cathode
electric cell
cell
Leclanche cell
mercury cell
standard cell
galvanic battery
voltaic battery
wet cell

Antonyms

electrolytic cell