20.1: Batteries and Simple Circuits
The Electrochemical Cell. An electric cell can be constructed from metals that have different affinities to be dissolved in acid. A simple cell, similar to that originally made by Volta, can be made using zinc and carbon as the "electrodes" (Volta used silver instead of carbon) and a solution of dilute sulfuric acid (the liquid is called the "electrolyte"), as illustrated in Figure ...