The Daniell cell: a historical case study

• Autor(a) principal: Costa, Mayra Cristina da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Porto, Paulo Alves
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Caderno Brasileiro de Ensino de Física (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/fisica/article/view/82360
• topic: Sports science

Daniell's cell didactic model has a key role in the teaching of electrochemistry, associated with fundamental concepts such as redox reactions. The original device created by John F. Daniell (1790-1845), however, presents notable differences if compared to the current didactic model. This paper presents a historical case study about the battery development by Daniell in the mid-19th century. An analysis of Daniell's communications to the Royal Society on this subject reveals an important influence by Michael Faraday and William Snow Harris on his work. It took around ten years to Daniell reach the final version of his device, with an amalgamated zinc electrode in a dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte, and a copper electrode in contact with an acidic solution of copper sulfate. The separation between the electrolytes, initially made with an animal membrane, was later made by a porous earthenware container. Such battery, capable of supplying constant direct current for a considerable period of time, had a fundamental role in the expansion of telegraph networks. Understanding the process of development of scientific and technological knowledge and its implications for society, by means of a historical case study, may bring relevant contributions to science teaching.