Volsci
a people of ancient Latium, whose language proves them to have been a branch of the Umbro-Sabellian stem, and who, holding the Pontine Marches, the valley of the Liris, and the Volscian Hills, extended from the sea-coast to the Samnite frontier. With Rome they seem from an early period to have waged constant wars, with one of which the legend of Coriolanus is associated, but Rome had entirely subdued them by 338 b. c., from which date they vanish as a separate race from history.
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Volsk
or VOLJSK, town of a Russia, province of Saratov; on the Volga; 80 miles N. E. of Saratov. It has several churches, a technical school, normal school, etc. There are large quays along the river, and trade in tallow and skins with Petrograd, in fruit with Nijni Novgorod, and in corn with Astrakhan and Rybinsk was carried on before the World War. A great market is held in autumn. Pop. about 40,000.
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Volta
COUNT ALESSANDRO, an Italian natural philosopher; born in Como, Italy, Feb. 18, 1745. Two treatises, published in 1769 and 1771, in which he gave a description of a new electrical machine, laid the foundation of his fame. He was successively Professor of Physics at the gymnasium in Como and in the University of Pavia. He invented the electrophorus, electroscope, electrical condenser, elec electrical pistol, and the voltaic battery in the form known as "crown of cups." He also devised several other electrical appliances, and in 1800 the voltaic pile. To him is due the theory that electricity is generated by the contact of dissimilar metals, a correction of Galvani's animal electricity theory. In 1782 he made a tour through France, Germany, England, and Holland. In 1801 Napoleon invited him to France, where a medal was struck in his honor. In 1810 he was created a senator of Italy, with the title of count; and in 1815 was made director of the philosophical faculty of Padua. Volta's name is COUNT ALESSANDRO VOLTA perpetuated in a large number of electrical terms. He died in Como, March 5, 1827.
a river of west Africa; which, rising in the Kong Mountains or highlands behind the Ashanti country, runs S. between Ashanti and Dahomey, and reaches the Bight of Benin through the E. part of the British Gold Coast. To left and right of its mouth it forms great lagoons, and on the bar across the mouth a heavy surf runs.
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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.
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Voltaic Battery
a term sometimes applied to a Voltaic pile, but more specifically used for a battery of several voltaic cells; known also as a galvanic battery (from Galvani), though the honor properly belongs to Volta. See ELECTRICITY; VOLTA.
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Voltaic Pile
Volta's arrangement for producing a current of electricity, consisting of a pile of alternate disks of two dissimilar metals, as copper and metais, zinc, zinc and silver, zinc and platinum, separated by pieces of flannel or pasteboard moistened with salt water or with water acidulated with sulphuric acid.
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Voltameter
in electricity, an instrument for measuring the work, and thus indirectly the strength of a voltaic current. This is done by the amount of electro-chemical decomposition, a certain current reducing a certain amount of hydrogen from water, silver or copper from their salts, etc. This must not be confounded with voltmeter.
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Volterra
a town of Italy, province of Pisa; 5 miles from Saline, which is 48½ miles S. E. of Leghorn. It is surrounded by ancient walls with great gates, the chief of which is the Porta all'- Arca. The cathedral, opened in 1120, contains fine marble sculptures; the baptistry of St. Giovanni and the church of St. Francesco have valuable frescoes and other paintings. The citadel, founded in 1343, with a more modern addition called Il Masteo, was long used as a penitentiary. In the Palazzo Communale is the Museo Civico, founded in 1208, and containing a valuable collection of Etruscan antiquities and a library. Volterra has also remains of baths and an amphitheater. Large alabaster works are the main industry of the town. At Saline are important salt works and borax springs. Near Volterra are also several Etruscan burying places and a th. The ancient subterranean labyrinth. Volaterræ (Etruscan V Velathræ), Volterra, was one of the 12 great Etruscan cities. The Romans took it in 474 B. C., and it became an important municipium, resisting a siege by Sulla for two years. Pop. (commune) about 17,500.
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Voltmeter
in electricity, any instrument for measuring the pressure, electromotive force, or difference of potentials at the ends of an electric current. The gold-leaf electroscope is a kind of voltmeter, but will only measure large differences of potential. If the terminals are connected with flat plates arranged parallel to each other, one of which is movable, the attractive force between the plates at a given small distance will be a voltmeter. This method is too coarse for ordinary currents, but a modification of it is employed in Thompson's quadrant electrometer. In Cardew's voltmeter the he heating effect of the current in a wire, which varies with the electromotive force, and is measured by. the expansion produced, is employed. In the majority of instruments the electro-magnetic action is employed in some form of galvanometer. These are more usually wound to act as ammeters, and if wound with very thin wire the high resistance allows the electromotive force required to drive certain current a through them to be calibrated and denoted in volts. Such instruments are adjusted or calibrated by comparison with a "standard" voltaic cell or voltameter.
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Volturno
a river of Italy, rising the province of Campobasso; in flows We S. E. to its junction with the Calore, and then W. past Capua into the Medi' terranean, 20 miles S. E. of Gaeta; course, about 100 miles.
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