Who Is Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla was a

Who Is Nikola Tesla? • Nikola Tesla was a scientist and inventor who specialised in working with electricity. • He made some of the most important contributions to physics and engineering. • He had many amazing ideas for inventions but his peers thought he was crazy and many of them were never built. His work paved the way for many of the technological devices we use every day.

Early Life • Nikola Tesla was born on 10 th July 1856 in Smiljanm, Croatia. • His mother was a scientist and his father was a priest. • He started training to follow in his father’s footsteps; however, he had an enormous passion for science and followed in his mother’s footsteps instead. • He went to the University of Prague to study science and then worked for the Central Telephone Exchange in Budapest.

Tesla and Edison At the age of 28, Tesla decided to move to America because of his desire to make new inventions. When he arrived, Tesla began working with the famous inventor, Thomas Edison (the inventor of the light bulb). While working together, they had a huge disagreement over the type of electricity to use. Tesla wanted to use Alternating Current (AC) which could travel through wiring over long distances and Edison wanted to use Direct Current (DC) which could only travel short distances. This disagreement eventually grew very bitter and Tesla left to found his own company, the Tesla Electric Light Company.

Tesla Electric Light Company Tesla’s new company caught the attention of another inventor, George Westinghouse. They started working together in the hope of generating electricity for the whole of America. They were now in direct competition with Edison and they became rivals. At the World’s Columbian Exposition (a fair to showcase new inventions) in Chicago, Tesla’s AC electrical system was chosen over Edison’s DC system, which was a massive accomplishment. Despite this, the company fell into financial trouble and Tesla had to sell his patent for his AC system and walk away from the partnership with Westinghouse.

Later Life In his later years, Nikola Tesla had mental health problems. He claimed to have invented a way of photographing thoughts, a motor that ran on energy rays from space and a ‘death ray’ for military use. He ended up penniless and moving from place to place, leaving behind unpaid bills wherever he went. Eventually, he settled in a New York hotel where his rent was paid by his old partner, George Westinghouse. Nikola Tesla died on 7 th January 1943, aged 86.

Legacy Nikola Tesla is now remembered as being one of the greatest scientific minds in history. His inventions and ideas paved the way for much of today’s essential technology, such as: • Remote controls • Radio • X-rays • Radar technology • Wireless technology • Electric motors • Lasers

Amazing Inventions! In 1896, Tesla created the world’s first hydroelectric power plant in Buffalo, New York. This created energy using a water-powered generator. After experimenting with radio waves in his laboratory, Tesla started construction of a “Wireless Broadcasting System tower” on Long Island, New York. He hoped to use it to connect telephone services as well as broadcasting images, news reports and weather information around the world. Unfortunately, the man financing the construction, JP Morgan, cut his funding and the tower was sold off.

Amazing Inventions! Tesla was always a showman and was well known for his high-voltage experiments. His invention, the Tesla coil, is probably his most well-known project. Intended to be a power source, the Tesla coil is now more of a stunning showpiece to delight those who see it running.

Fun Facts! • Nikola Tesla had a photographic memory. He memorised whole books and was able to speak eight languages! • Nikola rarely planned or designed an invention on paper. He just built what he saw in his head. • He had a fear of pearls! His fear was so bad that he would refuse to speak to any women wearing them. • His favourite animal was a pigeon. • The unit of measurement for magnetic fields is the Tesla. • Tesla cars are named after Nikola Tesla because of his research on the electric motor.