Volta, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio
The Italian Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio, Count of Volta (1745 - 1827), son of parents of noble lineage, was a chemist and physicist.
He is credited as the inventor of the electric battery and the discoverer of methane.
He made a battery consisting of two electrodes: one made of zinc, the other of copper. The electrolyte is either dilute sulfuric acid or a form of saltwater.
He managed to isolate methane in marshes.
He lent his name to to the volt, the unit of electrical potential.
See also
Last modified:10 January 2026 12.30 p.m.