What arrangement did Volta use to show that electricity came from metals rather than the frog?

What arrangement did Volta use to show that electricity came from metals rather than the frog?

• A. He used copper plates in vinegar
• B. He placed a small pile of silver and zinc sheets, with layers of cardboard soaked in saltwater in between, which created 30 volts
• C. He used gold foil
• D. He used carbon rods in acid

Answer: (B)

Electricity in Volta’s demonstration comes from chemical reactions between two different metals separated by an electrolyte. He built a stack, or pile, of metal discs of different metals with a salty, conductive material between each pair. Those metal–electrolyte interfaces generate a potential, and stacking many pairs multiplies the voltage, creating a steady current. This arrangement shows that the source of the current is the metals and the electrolyte, not the frog tissue. That specific setup—alternating metal sheets with saltwater-soaked layers between them—is why it’s chosen. It directly demonstrates how electricity can be produced chemically from metals. Other options don’t reproduce this stacked metal–electrolyte structure: copper plates in vinegar, gold foil, or carbon rods in acid don’t illustrate Volta’s metal–pile concept in the same way, nor do they emphasize the produced current arising from the metal pairs separated by an electrolyte.

Electricity in Volta’s demonstration comes from chemical reactions between two different metals separated by an electrolyte. He built a stack, or pile, of metal discs of different metals with a salty, conductive material between each pair. Those metal–electrolyte interfaces generate a potential, and stacking many pairs multiplies the voltage, creating a steady current. This arrangement shows that the source of the current is the metals and the electrolyte, not the frog tissue.

That specific setup—alternating metal sheets with saltwater-soaked layers between them—is why it’s chosen. It directly demonstrates how electricity can be produced chemically from metals. Other options don’t reproduce this stacked metal–electrolyte structure: copper plates in vinegar, gold foil, or carbon rods in acid don’t illustrate Volta’s metal–pile concept in the same way, nor do they emphasize the produced current arising from the metal pairs separated by an electrolyte.