There is a popular myth that Nikola Tesla invented AC or DC. That myth is wrong. While alternating current was created by Thomas Edison, it is not Tesla’s invention. Thomas Edison had invented it a few years before, and it is very possible for Tesla to have invented it as well. However, Tesla didn’t actually invent AC or DC, he simply developed a method of converting alternating current to direct current (DC).
Originally, AC had existed before Tesla’s work, but it wasn’t until 1887 that he came up with a solution that would allow two alternating currents to be created from one source. He devised an integrated system that included a generator, transmission lines, motors, and lighting. Tesla even filed for seven patents, and none of them were challenged. While AC was not completely invented by Tesla, the inventor was credited with influencing the development of AC.
Moreover, Edison didn’t invent AC, but he helped refine it and made it more practical. Despite his genius, Tesla didn’t really invent AC. He merely refined it through his scientific insights and his ability to make electricity dance. Although his contributions to AC were significant, he didn’t invent it, and his rivalry with Edison was probably merely a matter of association and difference of opinion in scientific matters.
There is also another myth about the origin of alternating current: that Nikola Tesla was the inventor of both direct current and alternating current. While both men developed electrical systems, one was better than the other, and Tesla’s invention would eventually come to dominate. Edison was a great inventor, delivering such innovations as the phonograph and the motion picture camera. In fact, he helped invent the light bulb, making it more practical and cost-effective.
When Tesla left Edison, he was wealthy and pursued his own interests. He was innovating lighting for household appliances and later started his own company in Paris. His new company was called Societe Electrique Edison, and he worked out of its Ivry-sur-Seine division. As he gained experience in the field of electrical engineering, his father promised to send him to technical school. So, he went to the Austrian Polytechnic School and studied mechanics and electricity.
Westinghouse’s success as a long-distance power supplier also helped Tesla’s reputation. He bought Tesla’s patents for 60,000 USD and then licensed them to his company. The two companies began competing against one another and AC eventually became the standard power system. If Westinghouse invented the AC system first, Tesla would have been the one to implement it. You can imagine how much money they’re worth today!
While AC technology is far more effective and efficient than DC, it has several disadvantages. Because AC power has higher voltages, it is riskier than DC. That’s why Edison’s AC power technology won in the end. Westinghouse backed Tesla’s AC technology, but Edison’s invention is the better one. So, who invented AC power first? And why did it come about? It’s important to keep in mind that the two technologies were developed in different time periods, and that different people had different priorities.
In a letter published in the October edition of Cosmos magazine, Alan Finkel argues that Tesla invented AC and Edison invented DC. The article is based on his new book of the same name, and can be purchased from all good newsagents and museums. Also, the story of the battle between Edison and Tesla will be told in the movie The Current War starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Katherine Waterston. It will be in cinemas in time for the holiday season.
While it is possible that DC is Nikola Tesla’s work, the truth is that there are no clear proofs to prove that Tesla invented both AC and DC. One of his projects, based on the principle of electrical induction, was to develop a way to transmit electrical power without wires. He even invented coils to transmit power. Besides his wireless lighting, Tesla’s ideas also helped the world connect.
Neither Nikola Tesla nor Thomas Edison invented AC or DC, but they were both important inventions. However, their creators had very different personalities. While Thomas Edison was an introverted and hard-working scientist, Nikola Tesla was a charismatic inventor. He spoke several languages and was close to many influential people, including Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, and John Muir. As an aside, Tesla was a bit of a hygiene freak, and he died penniless in New York City.