Voltaic cells were an early form of battery invented by Alessandro Volta in the late 18th century. A voltaic cell consists of two different metal plates submerged in an electrolytic solution, such as zinc and copper plates in sulfuric acid. When the plates are connected by a wire, electrons will flow from the zinc (anode) through the wire to the copper (cathode), generating a small electric current that can power a lamp for a few minutes before polarization occurs due to hydrogen gas bubbles forming on the copper plate and blocking the current flow.