The Grove cell was an early electric
primary cell named after its inventor,
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
physical scientist
William Robert Grove, and consisted of a
zinc anode in dilute
sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...
and a
platinum cathode in concentrated
nitric acid, the two separated by a porous ceramic pot.
Cell details
The Grove cell voltage is about 1.9 volts and arises from the following reaction:
: Zn + H
2SO
4 + 2 HNO
3 ZnSO
4 + 2 H
2O + 2 NO
2↑
Use
The Grove cell was the favored power source of the early American
telegraph system in the period 1840 – 1860 because it offered a high current output and higher
voltage than the earlier
Daniell cell (at 1.9 volts and 1.1 volts, respectively).
Disadvantages
By the time of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, as telegraph traffic increased, the Grove cell's tendency to discharge poisonous
nitrogen dioxide (NO
2) fumes proved increasingly hazardous to health, and as telegraphs became more complex, the need for constant voltage became critical. The Grove cell was limited in this respect, because as the cell discharged, voltage reduced. Eventually, Grove cells were replaced in use by
Daniell cells.
See also
*
List of battery types
*
History of the battery
*
Bunsen cell, Using cheaper carbon instead of platinum.
Notes
*
*
Disposable batteries
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