War of the Currents

Thomas Edison supported______electricity.

George Westinghouse supported________ electricity.

What was one major advantage of Alternating Current (AC) over Direct Current (DC)?

• AC electricity was easier to make

• AC electricity was more powerful than DC electricity

• AC electricity rran through cables underground

• AC electricity was safer to use in homes

One thing Thomas Edison is best known for......

• Building the Transcontinental Railroad

• Inventing the first airplane

• Designing the first telephone

• Inventing the first widely available light bulb

Using one or two words, describe how you feel about the story of how the electric chair was created?

What accusation did Thomas Edison make against George Westinghouse and alternating current electricity?

• That alternating current was too weak to power cities

• That alternating current would make electricity too expensive

• That alternating current was unsafe no matter what

• That alternating current could cause frequent power outages

How did the rivalry between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse begin?

• They were competing against each other to provide lighting in the United States

• Edison criticized Westinghouse for investing in gas-powered engine

• Westinghouse accused Edison of stealing his patents

• They both wanted to develop the first electric train system

What do you think the word "patent" means?

• A special kind of machine used for scientific experiments

• A legal document that grants someone the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention

• A type of electric light bulb

• A law that makes new inventions illegal to sell

What was the name of the "mad scientist" who sold many of his ideas to George Westinghouse?

• Nikola Tesla

• Isaac Newton

• Albert Einstein
• Thomas Edison

Who do YOU think ended up winning the electric current war?

(This is not a trick question, one of these two do end up winning!)

• Thomas Edison (Direct Current)

• George Westinghouse (Alternating Current)