How Did Nikola Tesla Contribute To Electricity

When you turn on a light, you probably think you owe it all to Thomas Edison, right? Well, not really. Although Edison did discover electricity, there was one person that changed electric technology forever: Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla was born on July 10th of 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia. He had a difficult childhood. His brother died in a riding accident when he was 7. This triggered what would become many long years of mental problems and hallucinations. His father was an Orthodox priest. His mother had a knack for building household items, which might have sparked Tesla's interest in engineering. His father expected Tesla to follow in his footsteps and enter religion. He would not allow him to attend any engineering schools, which was what Tesla

He was later relocated to New York in 1884. He worked closely with Edison while in New York. Edison gave Tesla the opportunity to redesign the direct current generators, saying Tesla could make them more efficient in service and economy. Edison claimed he would pay Tesla $50,000 if he could get it done. But what Tesla did not know was that Edison neither had the money nor the intent to give what he promised. He simply believed that Tesla would not be able to succeed. A few months later, when Tesla presented his improved generator, Edison simply replied, “Tesla, you don’t understand our American humor.” Edison refused to give Tesla the money he had promised. Outraged, Tesla denied any offers to continue working with Edison and immediately resigned. He went off to pursue his own ideas and inventions. But his first attempt to start his own business failed. Jobless and broke, he dug ditches for $2 a day. He could only find temporary backers for his newest invention: A/C, or alternating currents. His goal was to make A/C the main source of electricity. A/C technology was more efficient than D/C, requiring less power stations. It was also less expensive, with A/C generators being cheap to run. But it was dangerous. It had the potential for fatal electrocution. And Tesla knew it. Despite the challenges he would face to show the world A/C was the next best thing, Tesla went forward and

In his laboratory, he lit lamps without wires by letting A/C run through him. He hoped to alleviate fears about his new product. George Westinghouse was at one of these exhibitions, and he saw potential in Tesla. Eventually, Westinghouse got Tesla a patent on A/C. Word was spreading that there were two different types of electricity to choose from. Soon, there was a competition to light the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Whoever successfully lit the show would be guaranteed the chance to build the Niagara Falls power stations, the first of its kind and one of the biggest electrical revolutions of the century. With hard work, determination, and careful planning, Tesla succeeded. He lit the Exposition in 1893 for about half the cost of D/C and was given the contract for the Niagara Falls power station. He and Westinghouse had made