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Nikola Tesla, the Father of Electricity and Pioneer of Modern Technology

Jaron Anderson

Kibrom Desta

Andrew Goenges

Armin Duvnjak

Austin Haws

Physics 1010

Salt Lake Community College

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Abstract

“Nikola Tesla is the world's greatest inventor, not only at present but in all history…, His

basic as well as revolutionary discoveries, for sheer audacity, have no equal in the annals of the

intellectual world." (Hugo Gernsback, science editor and publisher.)

Father of Alternating Current and AC induction motors, Nikola Tesla is known best for the high

voltage generator that bears his name- the Tesla Coil. But this limited recognition hardly does justice to

his legacy as an inventor. His name should be placed beside Thomas Edison, perhaps his biggest rival,

for his contributions to electronics. But while electromagnetism was Tesla's primary focus during his

life, the scope of his work and ideas were not so limited. He had many strange inventions and

discoveries, many of which were not realized because of his opponents or for personal reasons. One of

these include the x-ray, though he is not credited toward its discovery. With all that Tesla has invented

and achieved, the question must be asked: where would we be now without him?

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Early Life

Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in a small village of Smiljan, Austrian Empire.

Nikola was inspired by one of his math teachers by the name of Martin Sekuljic when Tesla

attended the school called the Higher Real Gymnasium, even as a child in school Nikola Tesla

was able to perform calculus in his head and this resulted to his teachers thinking he was

cheating, Nikola was considered to be one of the biggest geeks, one reason was he ended up

finishing a school that he was suppose attend for four year term but he completed it in only three

year term.

  Nikolas father Milutin Tesla was an orthodox priest and he wanted Nikola Tesla to follow

in his footsteps and become an orthodox priest as well, in the family both his dad and his

grandfather on his mother’s side were orthodox priests. At some point Nikola got a disease called

cholera and he had to be in bed for about nine months. While he was in bed, his father got

desperate and he fell into despair. Instead of making Tesla become an orthodox priest, he

changed his mind and promised to send Nikola to the best engineering school after he recovered

from his illness. Nikola's went on to study at Graz University of Technology after he completed

his three years at Gymnasium in Karlovac. He got a scholarship during his first year in the

university. It was reported that he got the highest grades and also never missed class.

 Tesla was highly influenced by his mother Duka Tesla. She was an inventor as well, she would

create her own house supplies compared to his dad who was just a regular orthodox priest just

like Tesla's mothers father was as well. After his first year of school was over, Nikola got into

the habit of gambling before he realized it, he gambled away his money and then later end up

winning it back. 

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Nikola had many ideas going through his head, like the radio, and AC Current. Tesla needed

money for the projects he was working on. He then set his sights for New York City to acquire

the needed funding to accomplish his goals and dreams.

Tesla vs Edison

At age 28, Nikola Tesla arrived in New York City and was shocked by what he saw

their "What I had left was beautiful, artistic and fascinating in every way what I saw here

was machined, rough and unattractive. It is a century behind Europe in civilization." The

Serbian immigrant had four cents in his pocket, some mathematical computations, a

drawing of an idea for a flying machine, and a letter of introduction from Charles Batchelor,

one of Edison's business associates in Europe. Thrilled and terrified to meet his hero Tesla

handed Edison his letter of recommendation "My Dear Edison: I know two great men and

you are one of them. The other is this young man!" Tesla began to describe the engineering

work he had done, and his plans for an alternating current motor. There was something

different about Tesla; Edison immediately hired him to make improvements in his DC

plants. Tesla claimed that Edison promised him $50,000 if he succeeded, perhaps thinking

it an impossible undertaking. But the potential of so much money appealed greatly to Tesla.

Both Tesla and Edison shared a common trait of genius in that neither of them seemed to

need much sleep. Edison could go for days, taking occasional catnaps on a sofa in his office.

Tesla claimed that his working hours at the Edison Machine Works were 10:30 a.m. till 5

a.m. the next day. Even at an old age Tesla said he only slept two or three hours a night,

that's where the similarity ended. Tesla relied on moments of inspiration, perceiving the

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invention in his brain in precise detail before moving to the construction stage. In short, AC

power sounded like competition to Edison and he didn't care to learn more about it.

Edison was a trial and error man who described invention as five percent inspiration and

95 percent perspiration. Edison was self-taught. Tesla had a formal European education. It was

only a matter of time until their differences would lead to conflict. Edison carried out a campaign

to discourage the use of alternating current, including spreading disinformation on fatal

accidents, publicly killing animals, and lobbying against the use of AC in state legislatures.

Edison directed his technicians, primarily Arthur Kennelly and Harold P. Brown, to preside over

several AC driven killings of animals, primarily stray cats and dogs but also unwanted cattle and

horses. He also tried to popularize the term for being electrocuted as being “Westinghoused" his

desire to disparage the system of alternating current led to the invention of the electric chair.

When the chair was first used, the technicians on hand misjudged the voltage needed to kill the

prisoner. The first jolt of electricity was not enough to kill him, and only left him badly injured.

The procedure had to be repeated and a reporter described it as "an awful spectacle, far worse

than hanging." George Westinghouse commented: "They would have done better using an axe."

Word began to spread that a foreigner of unusual talent was digging ditches to stay alive.

Investors approached Tesla and asked him to develop an improved method for arc lighting.

Although this was not the opportunity he had hoped for, the group was willing to finance the

Tesla Electric Light Company. The proud new owner set to work and invented a unique arc lamp

of beautiful design and efficiency. Unfortunately, all of the money earned went to the investors

and all Tesla got was a stack of worthless stock certificates. But his luck was about to change.

Mr. A.K. Brown of the Western Union Co. agreed to invest in Tesla's idea for an AC motor. In a

small laboratory just a short distance from Edison's office, Tesla quickly developed all the

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components for the system of AC power generation and transmission that is used universally

throughout the world today. The battle to produce his motor was over. But the struggle to

introduce it commercially was only just beginning.

Inventions

When most people think of x-rays or radiology Nikola Tesla’s name probably doesn’t

pop into their mind regarding a relationship between the two. Even most radiologists probably

wouldn’t understand or know the link between the two. But Tesla actually had a large

contribution to radiologic imaging. It is believed that he was the creator of x-rays, but had little

proof of his research and findings due to his New York laboratory fire on March 13, 1895. Even

though this tragic fire may have disrupted a possible full credit towards the discovery of x-rays,

there were plenty of testimonies crediting Tesla for his work. In fact, on March 11, 1896 he

published multiple articles x-rays and their biological hazards in the Electrical Review, New

York. Again, he tried to gain some credit towards his research by going public and stating that he

had been working independently on the research of x-rays dating back to 1894. (Hrabak, MD, et

al, 2008, ¶ 6).

Tesla’s discovery of the x-rays seemed like it was accident. He discovered strange

damage to some photographic plates in his laboratory, which ultimately led to his pursuit of

research towards x-rays in 1892. I should note that in 1892 x-rays were still undiscovered and

not yet named. Tesla started experimenting with x-rays using Crookes tubes and later started

using a vacuum tube that he had invented. The vacuum tube was a unipolar x-ray bulb. Which

can be better explained here.

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It consisted of a single electrode that emitted electrons. There was no target electrode

therefore, electrons were accelerated by peaks of the electrical field produced by the

high-voltage Tesla coil. Even then, Tesla realized that the source of x-rays was the site of

the first impact of the “cathodic stream” within the bulb, which was either the anode in a

bipolar tube or the glass wall in the unipolar tube he invented. Nowadays, this form of

radiation is known as Bremsstrahlung or braking radiation. In the same article, he stated

that the cathodic stream was composed of very small particles (i.e., electrons). His idea

that the produced rays were minute particles (5) wasn’t wrong at all; many years later,

physicists described particle properties of electromagnetic radiation quanta called

photons. (Hrabak, MD, et al, 2008, ¶ 3)

Some would credit Tesla with taking the first x-ray image in the United States after attempting to

take an x-ray image of Mark Twain with his vacuum tube. The result of the image wasn’t what

Tesla or Twain were expecting, though. Instead of capturing an image of Twain, the completed

image showed a screw from the camera lens. However, later on Tesla did accomplish an x-ray

image of the human body. Tesla didn’t call these images x-rays though, he actually called them

shadowgraphs. The reason we call them x-rays is because Wilheim Conrad Roentgen had publish

his discovery of this type of imaging on November 8, 1895 and were coined “Roentgen Rays’ or

“x-rays.” Tesla ended up giving Roentgen full credit on the discovery of the x-ray. (Hrabak, MD,

et al, 2008, ¶ 4)

Although he may not have gotten the credit for the discovery of the x-ray, he was the first

to acknowledge the biologic hazards of working with unipolar tubes. “Attributing the harmful

effects on the skin to the ozone and the nitrous acid generated by the rays, rather than to the

ionizing effects of the radiation” (Hrabak, MD, et al, 2008 ¶ 5). Some of the symptoms and

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results of the above mentioned included: redness, pain and swelling of the skin, hair loss and nail

growth. After noticing these observations and taking them all into consideration Tesla

understood the three main points of radiation protection: distance, time and shielding. Noting

that proper distance was a useful safety factor. (Hrabak, MD, et al, 2008 ¶).

Tesla’a greatest achievement and invention was the creation of the alternating current

(AC) polyphase induction motor. Considered one of the top ten discoveries of all time, Tesla’s

polyphase motors revolutionized the world and molded it into the technologicaly advanced world

we know today. The story behind how Tesla came up with the ingenuis idea is astounding in

itself. The inventor was walking through a park in Budapest, Hungary when suddenly, the

thought merely popped into his headed. A year later (1883) Tesla put his idea into action and

built his first ever AC polyphase induction motor. At the time though, his invention was not

recognized as the scientific breakthrough that it was. Tesla patented his idea and set forth trying

to find willing investors and/or buyers of his work. It wasn’t until many long years of being

denied and ridicualed that Tesla found a wonderful partnership and investor in Westinghouse.

Though there were many setbacks in promoting the invention (see Tesla vs Edison),

Westinghouse became highly dedicated in sharing Tesla’s invention with the world, and what

better way to do that then at the World Columbian Exposition in 1893. Westinghouse made sure

the genius of Tesla was known by outbidding Edison for the contract to power the Exposition’s

lighting and other electrical systems. Below is an explanation of the components that make up

the motor and the theory of how it works.

An induction motor is composed of a rotor, known as an armature, and a stator containing

windings connected to a poly-phase energy source. The simple 2-phase induction motor

below is similar to the 1/2 horsepower motor which Nikola Tesla introduced in 1888.

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The theory of operation of induction motors is based on a rotating magnetic field. One

means of creating a rotating magnetic field is to rotate a permanent magnet. If the moving

magnetic lines of flux cut a conductive disk, it will follow the motion of the magnet. The

lines of flux cutting the conductor will induce a voltage, and consequent current flow, in

the conductive disk. This current flow creates an electromagnet whose polarity opposes

the motion of the permanent magnet– Lenz's Law. The polarity of the electromagnet is

such that it pulls against the permanent magnet. The disk follows with a little less speed

than the permanent magnet. (All About Circuits 2014)

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Though the AC induction motor is Tesla’s greatest and most prominent achievement, he

is most well known/ remembered for inventing the Tesla Coil. The Tesla Coil is an AC powered

transformer that produces flying arcs of electricity.

The power of the Tesla coil lies in a process called electromagnetic induction, i.e., a

changing magnetic field creates an electric potential that compels current to low.

Conversely, flowing electric current generates a magnetic field. When electricity lows

through a wound up coil of wire, it generates a magnetic field that fills the area around

the coil in a particular pattern. (Hartsfield January 29th 2014)

The major use of the Tesla Coil at the time was to promote the use of AC power and essentially

show it off. At first though, when viewed, the Tesla Coil terrified many people. They saw Tesla

as a mad man and feared him and his creation.

Modern Day Electronics and Contributions to Science

It’s hard to believe what today may have been like without Tesla’s contributions. Where

would be? Would we still be behind the times without some of his great inventions or ideas that

helped other great minds alike? It can also go the other way, by asking what could it have been

like today, 50 years ago and even 100 years ago if Tesla would have had more time, money and

help with his hundreds of patents and ideas for new inventions. Some speculate we would have

been far more advanced than we are today. After all, most can agree that Tesla was far ahead of

his time with the inventions he created. Take fluorescent lighting for example. Tesla had created

and was using this form of lighting in his lab some 40 years before the industry “invented” it. He

also created the first neon signs and demonstrated them at the Worlds Fair. Bending the glass

tubes into famous scientists’ names as demonstration (Activist Post, 2014, ¶ 2).

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By discovering the Alternating Current he reduced cost, energy, money and it was

tremendously safer than the DC current created by Edison. And today it is Tesla’s alternating

current system that provides power generation and distribution in North America (Activist Post,

2014, ¶ 1). Covering his invention of the electric motor whilst on the topic of the alternating

current will seamlessly mesh the two. Lets think of how different ‘Big Oil’ would be today if

Tesla’s electric motor would have caught on back then with some of the big automobile

industries. The money that could have been saved from fracking and shipping, to the reduction of

the environmental impact ‘Big oil’ has had on our Earth and maybe even the prevention of some

wars in the opinions of some. But, “Nevertheless, this invention has fundamentally changed the

landscape of what we now take for granted: industrial fans, household appliances, water pumps,

machine tools, power tools, disc drives, electric wristwatches and compressors” (Activist Post,

2014 ¶ 6). And the list goes on and on from: the loudspeaker, radar, rotary engine, microwaves,

diathermy, remote controls, robots and etc.

Achievements

Nikola Tesla was recognized on multiple levels and occasions for his contributions to the world

of science and humankind. He was a brilliant man and without his previous contributions, who

knows where we would be today. The following is a summary of awards and recognition through

various foundations, companies and people in general. In 1894, Columbia and Yale gave Tesla

honorary doctoral degrees. He was given the Elliot Cresson medal by the Franklin Institute,

which, was the highest award given by the institute. It was awarded to those who showed

discovery in the Arts and Sciences, invention or improvement of useful machines. (Vujovic,

1998)

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He was awarded the John Scott medal by the city of Philadelphia for his polyphase power

system. The John Scott medal is awarded to those who improve, in a significant way, the comfort

and overall happiness of mankind. The National Electric Light Association made him an

honorary member. He appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1931 for which he received

congratulatory letters from over 70 pioneers in science and engineering, including Albert

Einstein. In 1917 he was awarded the Edison Medal, the oldest and most coveted medal in the

field of electrical engineering. In 1975 he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame.

(Vujovic, 1998)

This list goes on and on. And it shows what a tremendous impact Nikola Tesla had on the

world and in the sciences. He has an award named after him, a crater on the far side of our moon,

a minor planet, museum, airport, power plant and even today has an automobile named after him,

which is powered by electric motors. Not to mention the multiple plaques and memorials around

the world that are in his honor. All these are prime examples of how lucky we were to have a

brilliant person such as Nikola Tesla.

Tesla in Our World Today

In this modern age of cell phones and palm pilots we often find ourselves relying on technology

to make it through the day. How many people can say that they could do without a car or a phone?

Indeed we all take a lot of technology for granted. Some of the technology is so pervasive that we tend

to forget it is even there. AC powered engines drive numerous machines, vacuum tubes power

televisions and monitors, and wireless communication is vital to radio and other mediums. These and a

few other simple ideas are the foundation on which everything we use today, and most of them were

invented by Nikola Telsa, almost a hundred years ago. The technology is so common place that few

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even know the name of the Nikola responsible for it by1900 he held over 100 patents on everything

from the x-ray to the remote control.

Despite his contributions in the field of science he died penniless and virtually unknown. To this

day he is overlooked by even the Smithsonian, which displays none of his work. Nikola Tesla, a Serbian

immigrant, may have been one the greatest masterminds of the technological century.

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References

Hrabak, MD, M., Padovan, MD, PhD, R., Kralik, MD, M., Ozretic, MD, D., & Potocki, MD,

PhD, K. (2008, January 9). Nikola Tesla and the Discovery of X-rays. Retrieved October

18, 2014, from http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/rg.284075206

The 10 Inventions of Nikola Tesla That Changed The World. (2014, July 10). Retrieved

October 18, 2014, from http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/10- inventions-of-nikola-

tesla-that.html

Vujovic, D. (1998, July 10). Nikola Tesla The Genius Who Lit The World. Retrieved October

18, 2014, from http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm

Hartsfield, T. (2014, January 14). How Tesla Coils Work | RealClearScience. Retrieved October

23, 2014, from

http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2014/01/29/how_tesla_coils_work_108474.html

All About Circuits (2014) Tesla polyphase induction motors | All About Circuits Forum RSS

Retrieved October 25, 21014 http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_2/chpt_13/7.html

Tesla Memoriable Society of New York | Tesla’s AC Induction Motor is One of the 10 Greatest

Discoveries of all Time http://www.teslasociety.com/hall_of_fame.htm

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