Sebastián Córdoba, Alejandro Anguren and Alejandro Blanco Tesla vs. Edison Sebastián Córdoba, Alejandro Anguren and Alejandro Blanco

Tesla Biography Smiljan, Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1856 (nowadays Croatia)-New York, 1943 Father: Serbian Orthodox Priest Mother: invented household appliances Graz (Austria) and Prague Universities Moved to the US in 1884 and started working for Edison Because of discussions abandoned the company Won the current distribution because alternating current is easier to distribute than direct current. Founded his own laboratory in NY. 1899, new lab in Colorado Springs Around 300 patents worldwide Died at the Hotel New Yorker due to thrombosis Nikola Tesla came to the United States in 1884 with an introduction letter from Charles Batchelor to Thomas Edison: “I know two great men,” wrote Batchelor, “one is you and the other is this young man.”

Edison Biography Milan, Ohio (1847)-West Orange, New Jersey (1931)Moved to Port Huron, Michigan, at age 7. Sold candy and newspapers Got expelled from school sucmacocl Self-taught Set an invention factory Established the first electric power plant in NYC Invented the incandescent light bulb, electric railroad, DC motors... Died in 1931 at his house in New Jersey

War of Currents (1880s) Alternating Current (AC) versus Direct Current (DC) Tesla supported AC Edison was in favour of DC Direct current has a constant voltage Alternating current alternates the voltage throughout time.

Problems of Direct Current Direct current loses voltage over distance Many generators needed, or a very large amount of voltage needed Surplus of generators led to pollution and didn’t look good in urban areas Excess of voltage can be dangerous, people risk electrocution

Wardenclyffe tower (also known as Tesla Tower) It was a wireless transmission station Was intended to transmit messages and telephony across the Atlantic to England. Based on his theories of using the Earth as a conductor of the signal.

Tesla coil

Tesla versus Edison Tesla Edison Nickname The Wizard of the West The Wizard of Menlo Park Education Math, Physics, Mechanics (Universities of Graz and Prague) Self-taught and home-schooled War of currents AC DC Number of patents +300 +2300 Number of patents in the US +100 +1300

Tesla versus Edison (II) Notable inventions Tesla coil, radio, Alternating Current motors, fluorescent light, remote control... Incandescent light bulb, phonograph, cement making technology... Method He got inspired and saw the invention in his mind in detail before constructing it Trial and error (“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration”-T. A. Edison) Death 1943, in debt, alone and in Hotel New Yorker 1931, with friends and family in New Jersey Nobel Prizes won Elephants electrocuted 1

Tesla versus Edison (III) Edison electrocuted a 3 ton elephant, Topsy, to demonstrate that AC was dangerous. In 1915, both Tesla and Edison were going to receive the Nobel Prize for their studies in physics, but none of them won it because they refused to share the award.

Some of Tesla’s quotes

Some of Edison’s quotes

Sources http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/ http://www.biography.com/ http://www.teslasociety.com/ http://www.history.com/ http://www.teslasciencecenter.org/ http://www.nydailynews.com/