Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Clark cell

Clark cell

9.9
A type of battery used long ago to give a fixed voltage for scientific measurements
  • noun
  • /klɑrk sɛl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : célula Clark
  • The Clark cell was once widely used to provide a reference voltage for laboratories.

Examples

  • Calibration of instruments often relied on the stable output of a Clark cell.

  • The Clark cell was once the standard for measuring electromotive force in scientific experiments.

  • Although replaced by more modern standards, the Clark cell marked a significant advance in electrical measurement.

  • The Clark cell was widely used in laboratories.

  • Many scientists still reference the Clark cell in their experiments.

  • To ensure accuracy, many physicists used a Clark cell as a reference during electrical calibrations.

  • In the past, laboratories depended on the consistent voltage output of a Clark cell for precise measurements.

Synonyms

Clark standard cell
vsClark cell
  • Archaic
9.9

A battery used in labs as a standard to measure electric voltage

is the shorter traditional name used in scientific measurements
Weston cell
vsClark cell
  • Archaic
9.7

A stable electrical cell that gives a standard voltage for measuring instruments

is the same device type but not tied to an inventor's name
standard cell
vsClark cell
  • Specialized
6.5

A very stable battery used to check voltage on measuring devices

is a specific formerly used type rather than a general reference category
cadmium cell
vsClark cell
  • Archaic
8.8

An electrical cell that uses cadmium metal for one electrode and gives a steady voltage for laboratory use

is the broader voltaic standard not defined by a cadmium electrode

Surface Forms

Clark cell singular
Clark cells plural

Morphology

Clark + cell

The noun 'cell' clearly signals an electrical/battery unit, so learners can infer this is a kind of cell; however 'Clark' is a proper name with no lexical meaning, so the precise technical sense (a specific voltaic standard) and historical usage cannot be derived. A B1 learner would grasp that it denotes a type of cell named after someone but would not predict its exact function or role, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Clark cell is named after its inventor, Mr Clark, and cell here means a small battery used in laboratories. Because this small battery gave a very steady electric voltage, scientists used it like a measuring stick or 'standard' for other instruments, so the name now means a reliable reference voltage.