Inventor: Nikola Tesla

• Invented in 1888 by Nikola Tesla
• Today's main form of electricity supply
• AC - Current that switches direction periodically

Originally working under Edison, Nikola Tesla quickly became Edison's rival after seeing that Edison's usage of a direct current power system was weak.  Moving on independently, he discovered that he could make a magnetic field from rotating two coils at right angles when supplied an alternating current, which led to his development of the AC induction motor.  He later went on to use this new form of current to design the AC generators at Niagara Falls to generate power.

Today, alternating current is what we use to power almost everything with a plug.  Tesla sold his patents to George Westinghouse, and made AC the basis of the Westinghouse power system which is still in use in the modern power industry.

Picture from Encarta Encyclopedia

SOURCES:

Tesla, N. My Inventions.  Available 13 April 2004, Revised 14 January 2004. <http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jul/teslaautobio.html>

• This online book gave good information about Tesla's life and works.