BCP 101 EL: v4 (First Timers)

EDISON AND TESLA: Alternating current flows back and forth. Direct current flows one direction.

EDISON AND TESLA: The little box that on your computer power cord converts the alternating current in outlets in walls into the direct current that your computer can use.

EDISON AND TESLA: Edison wanted the United States to have alternating current and Tesla was pushing for direct current in the ”War of Currents”.

EDISON AND TESLA: One reason why Edison wanted the direct current was because he had a lot of patents on direct current inventions and he wanted his patents to hold up.  Tesla’s alternating current won the battle and the United States adopted AC.

TESLA:  Nicola Tesla, when 37, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. In his lab, he made a coil device–now called a Tesla coil.  It could generate a mile-long lightning bolts!

TESLA: Residents reported sparks between their feet and the ground as they walked outside when he fired it up. Light bulbs within 100 feet of the lab glowed and horses died after receiving electric shocks.

TESLA: Tesla’s Tesla coil reportedly even caused butterflies to glow with St. Elmos fire around their wings. 

TESLA: St. Elmos fire is a whitish-blue halo–a weird electrical phenomena involving water explosions. 

TESLA: The biggest mistake of Tesla’s life came after this when, at 44, =he attempted to build a huge tower called Wardenclyffe.

TESLA: Wardenclyffe had an astonishing 100-foot deep foundation and rose 187 feet with a 68’ dome on top! It was meant to beam electrical power without wires over miles.