Combinations of Metals That Make Electricity

It was a pair of Italians who first used metal combinations to make electricity. Luigi Galvani noticed that preserved frog legs in his laboratory twitched in the midst of thunder and lightning storms. Working off of this observation, he found he could induce more twitching by touching frog legs with various metals. He called this phenomena "animal electricity." Alessandro Volta dispensed with the frog legs and substituted stacks of metal plates separated by cardboard soaked in brine, producing a voltage.

Copper and Zinc.Copper and zinc produce electricity when combined with the phosporic acid found in potatoes.

Through further experimentation, Volta found copper and zinc produced the strongest, most consistent voltage of the metals available to him. He further found that different combinations of metals produced better results. Pairing zinc, lead, tin or iron with copper, silver, gold or carbon produced voltages. Using the same metal does not produce a voltage because there is no potential difference between them. These metals in combination with an electrolyte such as brine or citric acid produce electricity, but they are not rechargeable and eventually stop producing electricity as the hydrogen atoms in the electrolyte get used up.

Lead-Acid.The sealed lead-acid battery found in most automobiles today goes back to French physician Gaston Plante’s 1859 design of a cell consisting of lead electrodes and sulphuric acid. This design produces electricity only after charging, when electrons are introduced into one of the lead electrodes, turning it into the cathode and converting it to lead oxide. This creates a potential between the two electrodes, producing electricity. With their high content of lead and acid, these batteries can be harmful for the environment when not disposed of properly.

Nickel-cadmium and Nickel-Iron.Edison replaced cadmium with iron, resulting in a cheaper but less efficient battery. Wlademar of Jungner of Sweden introduced the nickel-cadmium battery in 1899. Rechargeable like the lead-acid cell, this battery did not initially enjoy commercial success because of the prohibitively high costs of materials. Thomas Edison substituted iron for cadmium in 1901, producing a cheaper but less efficient cell given to self-discharge and poor performance at low temperatures. Ni-Cad became popular with the development of an improved pole piece in 1932, resulting in a longer-lasting and more efficient battery.

Lithium-Cobalt Oxide.The lithium-ion family of batteries use a variety of metals to produce electricity. Powering cell phones and laptops, the metals producing electricity in this cell consist of a cobalt oxide cathode and a graphite anode. The widespread use of these batteries creates more chances of failure: metal fragments reach the core and cause a short circuit, resulting in rapid discharge and increased heat. This heat can damage the components of the object it powers. Therefore, phone and laptop users must be vigilant when it comes to excess device heat.

Modern Technology

There is little doubt that technology impacts the world to a startling degree. For example, business people around the globe use computers to perform work-related tasks. Some of the impacts of modern technology are positive, but others are not. Looking at a list of the advantages and disadvantages of technology is useful because it provides a means by which an individual may assess whether technology implementation is worth potential risks.

Efficiency and Productivity.An increase in technology generally means that tasks are completed faster and more efficiently. This translates to increased productivity. From the business standpoint, this is definitely an advantage, since increased productivity means better sales, services or manufacturing.

Job Loss.When an organization uses technology properly, the technology typically cuts the number of hours that need to be worked. This increases profit for the organization because it doesn’t need to pay workers to remain on the job site. However, if the technology cuts the number of hours drastically enough, some individuals may lose their jobs entirely because the technology essentially completes the tasks that the employee originally did. Factories are the best example of this - as more and more robots complete assembly line tasks in an automated way, there’s less of a need for physical workers. According to Small Business Bible, jobs are created by technology too, such as information technology specialist positions.

Finances.It is debatable whether or not technology is financially a disadvantage or advantage. On one hand, technology is cost effective, according to Small Business Bible - technology may boost revenue and profit through increased efficiency, productivity and limited man hours. However, a business may lose this revenue and profit simply because they have to support and update all of the technology they use. For example, a business may reduce the number of office employee hours with a handful of software programs, but it then may have to pay a technology consultant fees for installing and answering questions about how to use the programs.

Precision.Technology means that people can perform tasks with an incredibly high degree of accuracy. For example, in medicine, machines can measure the exact amount of oxygen a person is taking in or make an incision to within millimeters.

Health.Technology may cause numerous health problems. For example, according to Practice, Medical News Today, PR Log and Poynton, scientists, researchers and doctors such as Darius Lakdawalla, Tomas Philipson, Amy Drescher and Charles Poynton are concerned about the links between technology, obesity/heart problems, eye strain, deafness and muscle issues. Waste from technology such as the used fuel and emissions from factory machines may pollute the environment, disturbing ecosystems and making people sick.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power is a controversial source of energy, having both unique advantages and disadvantages. Energy is created through nuclear fission using uranium-235 or plutonium-239 isotopes. Large amounts of kinetic energy are produced during this process and converted into electricity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees the nuclear power industry in the United States.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 906