In 1800, an Italian physicist came up with the first chemical battery of the world unlocking modern electrical science. Alessandro Volta created the voltaic pile, a device that could produce a continuous electric current. Before this invention, scientists could produce static electricity, but they did not have a practical source that could provide a steady flow. Volta's work changed this. His battery used zinc and copper discs with cardboard soaked in brine placed between them. The device gave scientists a way to study electricity through chemical reactions. It also helped later work in electrochemistry, electromagnetism and electrical technology.
