The word "Voltammeter" is a device used for measuring the potential difference between two points in an electric circuit. Its spelling can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as "vʌltæmɪtər". The "v" sound is followed by a short "ʌ" sound, then "l" and "t" sounds, and the short "æ" sound represents the "a" in "volt". The "m" and "ɪ" sounds come next, followed by the "t" and schwa (ə) sounds. The final "r" sound completes the word.
A voltammeter refers to an instrument used in electrochemistry to measure the electric current flowing between two electrodes submerged in an electrolyte solution. This device enables the determination of the relationship between the applied voltage and the resulting current, characterizing how an electrochemical reaction occurs. The voltammeter provides valuable information about the kinetics and thermodynamics of the studied electrode reactions.
Typically consisting of a potentiostat and a microammeter, the voltammeter applies a controlled potential difference between the working and reference electrodes, inducing a flow of electrons. By measuring the current passing through the electrodes, it quantifies the rate of electrochemical processes taking place at the electrode surface. This allows researchers to analyze electrochemical cells, corrosion processes, and electrodeposition reactions.
Voltammetry, the technique employed by the voltammeter, offers several variations, such as linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and pulse voltammetry, each providing distinct information about the electrochemical system in question. The measurements obtained with a voltammeter can aid in determining the electrochemical behavior of an electrode material, analyzing the kinetics of a reaction occurring at the electrode surface, or investigating the presence and concentration of certain species in a solution.
Overall, the voltammeter serves as a valuable tool in electroanalytical chemistry, providing researchers with a means to understand and characterize various electrochemical processes.
An apparatus for measuring both volts and amperes.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "voltammeter" is derived from two components: "volt" and "ammeter".
- "Volt" refers to volt, the unit of electrical potential difference or electromotive force. It was named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, who invented the first true electrochemical battery, known as the "Voltaic Pile", in 1800.
- "Ammeter" refers to ammeter, an instrument used for measuring electric current, specifically in amperes. The term "ammeter" is a combination of "ampere" (the unit of electric current) and "-meter" (a suffix indicating an instrument used for measurement).
Therefore, combining "volt" and "ammeter" gives us the compound term "voltammeter", which is an instrument used to measure voltage or electromotive force.