Volta, Alessandro

Alessandro (1745-1827), an Italian scientist. A native of Como. Professor of physics at Como and Pavia, and later in the University of Paris. In 1800 Volta described the apparatus since called the Voltaic pile. Volta has been further honored by the use of the terms, Voltaic cell and Voltaic electricity. Still more significant is the name "volt" applied to the unit of electro-motive force. The gravity cell usually seen in telegraph stations has an electro-motive force of about a volt.