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voltaic

1. Of or pertaining to Alessandro Volta, who first devised apparatus for developing electric currents by chemical action, and established this branch of electric science; discovered by Volta; as, voltaic electricity.

2. Of or pertaining to voltaism, or voltaic electricity; as, voltaic induction; the voltaic arc.

See the note under galvanism. Voltaic arc, a luminous arc, of intense brilliancy, formed between carbon points as electrodes by the passage of a powerful voltaic current. Voltaic battery, an apparatus variously constructed, consisting of a series of plates or pieces of dissimilar metals, as copper and zinc, arranged in pairs, and subjected to the action of a saline or acid solution, by which a current of electricity is generated whenever the two poles, or ends of the series, are connected by a conductor; a galvanic battery. See Battery, 4, and Note. Voltaic circuit. See Circuit. Voltaic couple or element, a single pair of the connected plates of a battery. Voltaic electricity. See the Note under Electricity. Voltaic pile, a kind of voltaic battery consisting of alternate disks of dissimilar metals, separated by moistened cloth or paper. See 5th Pile. Voltaic protection of metals, the protection of a metal exposed to the corrosive action of sea water, saline or acid liquids, or the like, by associating it with a metal which is positive to it, as when iron]] is galvanised, or coated with zinc.

Origin: Cf. F. Voltaique, It. Voltaico.