Author Archives: Jack Walser

Nikola Tesla and Alternating Current

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian scientist that lived from 1856 to 1943. He is best known for his works of radio, the Tesla Coil, and the developing of Alternating Current.

Nikola Tesla worked for Thomas Edison in New York City. Thomas Edison had the idea of DC current while Nikola Tesla favored AC. DC current was much less efficient than AC current and with Nikola Tesla’s innovations in AC current, power was able to be provided very easily, cost effective, and safely.

By using AC, power was able to be provided to the United States much more effectively than using coal and gas lamps. With this, production was able to rise greatly. Instead of only being able to work with the light from the sun, light bulbs led the way. Along with just a reliable light source, more technology was able to be created using this new power to further enhance production.

There are many creations looking back at U.S. history at greatly changed everything. Rather it being the creation of railroads that helped trade and provided people a way of transportation, or the telegraph that allowed people to communicate. AC power was also one of the large steps forward in U.S. history because it allowed production to rise like never before. Power was available everywhere, not just where there was running water.

“Nikola Tesla (Serbian-American Inventor).” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.