AC vs. DC In the 1880 s, the War of the Currents began. Thomas Edison developed direct current, or DC, a type of electricity that flows in one direction. By 1887, DC was in use around the United States. It had some drawbacks, though. Converting it to lower or higher voltages was difficult; that is, the current's force couldn't be changed easily. Transmitted at the low voltage needed for use in homes and businesses, it lost power after traveling only a mile. Meanwhile, Nikola Tesla was working with alternating current, or AC. AC reverses direction many times per second and can be changed to different voltages. At high voltage, it can be transmitted efficiently, traveling hundreds of miles with little energy loss. Because of its advantages, AC triumphed by the end of the nineteenth century. What is the main, or central, idea of the passage? AC has distinct advantages over DC, so AC won the War of the Currents. AC reverses direction and can be converted to lower or higher voltage. Submit
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In the epic "War of the Currents," Nikola Tesla played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the way we use electricity. While Thomas Edison championed the more limited direct current (DC), Tesla's alternating current (AC) offered a flexible and efficient solution. Thanks to AC’s ability to easily change voltages and travel long distances without losing power, it became the backbone of modern electrical systems, helping to light up cities and power industries. If you're curious about how this battle shaped our world, consider diving deeper into the lives of these two inventors. Their rivalry not only influenced modern energy distribution but also sparked innovations that have driven technology forward. Books like "Empires of Light" by Jill Jonnes offer a gripping account of their fierce competition and its lasting impact on society.
