He is considered one of the greatest inventors in history. Thomas Edison felt that ... the electrical systems we use in
October 15, 1878 The Edison Electric Light Company Begins Operation
Thomas Edison invented the first practical incandescent light bulb. Although the light bulb itself had been invented earlier, it would not burn for any long period of time, so it was not a practical way of lighting. It has been said that Thomas Edison tested more than 3,000 filaments before he found what he felt was the best one to use in an electric light bulb. However, in order to make this invention useful, a method of generating and distributing the power needed to make the light bulb work on a large scale needed to be invented.
Thomas Edison’s electric light company began operation when he began trying to perfect the light bulb. It then moved to perfecting the system of delivering the power to make the light bulb practical for use throughout a large area. Eventually it became part of a larger company. Thomas Edison became a shareholder in that company while he left the electric business and went on with his other inventions. He is considered one of the greatest inventors in history.
Thomas Edison felt that the best way of delivering the power necessary to make the light bulb practical for common use was to use direct current (DC). At the same time, scientist Nikola Tesla was working with alternating current (AC). Thomas Edison felt that direct current was the best and safest way to deliver power. Nikola Tesla, however, felt that alternating current would provide more electricity over longer distances. While the two scientists could not agree on the best way to provide the power necessary to make electricity a practical power source for the common person, they had a great deal of respect for each other. Edison’s direct current was the first type used to show what electric lights could do. Tesla’s alternating current was the type that was finally adopted and used in the electrical systems we use in the United States today.
Do some research and on the following page and write a comparison between DC current and AC current. Do you think the history of future inventions would have been different if DC had been the accepted way of producing power in the United States rather than adopting the AC system that is used today? Why or why not?
