Being a very innovative piece of technology and the backbone for all the portable things, devices, and pieces of technology, batteries are one of the best inventions that human beings have done.

As this can be considered as one of the best inventions, some people are curious about the starting of this concept and its development to the modern-day batteries that we have today. If you are also curious to know about the batteries and the very first battery that was made, then you are at the right place.

Here we will discuss all about the history of the first battery.

How was the first battery invented?

In earlier times there were no devices that could be used to use the battery. However, other needs were required to convert chemical energy to the potential or electrical energy. This was the reason for the invention of the first battery in the world.

The Construction Of The Battery

The first battery also known as the Baghdad battery was not made in the way the batteries these days are made. The battery was made in the pot made from clay. It was because the clay was unable to chemically react with the materials present in the battery. Inside the pot, the electrodes and the electrolyte were present.

The Electrolyte Used In The Battery

At that time there was not a lot of information about which electrolyte must be used. So, the vinegar or fermented grape juice was used as an electrolyte. It was a great thing because their acidic nature helped the electrons to flow between the electrodes of the battery.

The Electrodes Of The Battery

As there are 2 electrodes in a battery, both of them need to be made from different metals. In the Baghdad battery, the electrodes used were made from iron and copper. The first electrode was made from an iron rod. The other electrode was made from a sheet of copper that was folded is a cylindrical shape.

The cylindrical shape of the copper sheet provided more surface area for the flow of electrons. This increased the efficiency of the battery.

The Stopper To Keep The Things Organized Inside The Battery Structure

As the battery has liquid electrolyte and the electrodes are also needed to stay organized inside the battery, a stopper was used in the battery.

This stopper was made from asphalt. This was because it was not only strong enough to hold the things inside the battery. Another reason for using asphalt was that it was not reactive with any of the materials inside the battery.

When was the battery invented?

As most of the people are curious to know about the history of the batteries. One thing that we cannot miss here is the time when the first battery was made. Here will discuss the time when the first battery of the world was made, and we will also discuss how the next generations of batteries were made.

The Very First Battery

The very first battery that was made with materials and methods mentioned above was not called as a battery. This is because at that time there was no concept of the term battery. However, the concept of making electrical energy from chemical energy was used in making that battery.

This battery was made about 2000 years ago in the period of 250 BCE. This battery is now present in the National Museum of Iraq.

The Next Generation Of Batteries

As portable power became a thing as the humans were evolving, the term battery was used for the thing that was able to provide portable power. In the year 1800, the scientist named Volta used the term battery for the first time for a battery.

This was not only different in terms of the structure of the battery, but the method of using the electrodes and the electrolytes was also changed here.

What were the innovations in the next batteries?

From the very first batteries to the batteries that we have today, a lot of things have changed. Here we will list all of them.

• The materials and structure of electrodes.
• The chemicals and their form were used as electrolytes.
• The shape and size of the structure of the battery enclosure.

What performance does the first battery have?

The first battery was used in many unique ways. Despite having low power, it had some special uses that depend on its performance and other factors. Some of the features and specifications you need to know are mentioned below.

The Power Specifications Of The First Battery

The first battery was not commonly used due to which the power specifications of the product were not very attractive. There were only a few cases in which the battery was used due to which more people were not interested in increasing the power of the battery.

It is known that the battery gave only 1.1 volts. The power of the battery was very low as well as there was not any type of great power backup.

The Usage Of The First Battery

Despite having low power and no backup the first battery was used for various purposes and some of them are given below.

• Electroplating

The first purpose for which the battery was used for electroplating. In this process, gold and other precious materials were plated on low-quality products like steel and iron to make them last longer. This process for users to protect metals from rust and damage.

After a few years, the same process was used for decoration purposes and to make jewelry.

• Medical Usage

In ancient times the eels were used for various medical treatments. The low electric current of eel was used to treat ailments. However, catching the eel was not an easy task and the fish was not easily available everywhere. That is why some medical experts used the battery for treatment.

Conclusion

To increase the power of the first battery sometimes cells were also connected. The first battery was a breakthrough that led to the development of the modern batteries that we are using today. Understanding the mechanism of the first battery helped to develop various other types of batteries that have some special uses.