Grove cell
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The Grove cell was an early electric primary cell named after its inventor, Welsh physical scientist William Robert Grove, and consisted of a zinc anode in dilute sulfuric acid and a platinum cathode in concentrated nitric acid, the two separated by a porous ceramic pot.
The Grove cell voltage is about 1.9 volts and arises from the following reaction:
- Zn + H2SO4 + 2 HNO3 ⇌ ZnSO4 + 2 H2O + 2 NO2↑
Use
The Grove cell was the favored power source of the early American telegraph system in the period 1840 – 1860 because it offered a high current output and higher voltage than the earlier Daniell cell (at 1.9 volts and 1.1 volts, respectively).