Which type of current is used in most of the world's electricity grids today?

Static electricity from batteries

Tesla vs Edison Quiz: The War of the Currents

This Tesla vs Edison quiz explores the famous rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, from Edison's lab at Menlo Park and his light bulb to Tesla's alternating current, the War of the Currents, the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the founding of General Electric and the film The Current War. Fifteen questions on who invented what.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 15 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 15 Time: 150s

Rivalry
What name is given to the battle between AC and DC electricity systems in the late 1800s?
DC
Which type of current did Thomas Edison promote?
Menlo Park
Edison was nicknamed the Wizard of Menlo Park. In which US state was Menlo Park?
Light bulb
In which year did Edison's team demonstrate a long-lasting practical light bulb?
Phonograph
Which invention, announced by Edison in 1877, could record and play back sound?
Patents
Roughly how many US patents did Edison receive in his lifetime?
World's Fair
Which 1893 event was lit by Westinghouse's AC system, helping Tesla's side win the public?
Story
According to Tesla, how much money did Edison's company promise him and then refuse to pay, calling it a joke?
Company
In 1892, Edison's company merged with another to form which famous corporation?
Motor
In 1888, Tesla patented which important machine that runs on alternating current?
Lifespan
Who lived longer?
Today
Which type of current is used in most of the world's electricity grids today?
Film
Which 2017 film starred Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison and Nicholas Hoult as Tesla?
Birthplace
In which country was Thomas Edison born in 1847?
Legacy
Which modern car company is named in honor of Nikola Tesla?

Explanations: answer key for all 15 questions

Q1: What name is given to the battle between AC and DC electricity systems in the late 1800s?
Answer: The War of the Currents
Edison's companies promoted direct current, while Tesla and George Westinghouse backed alternating current. The fight lasted through the late 1880s and 1890s.
Q2: Which type of current did Thomas Edison promote?
Answer: Direct current (DC)
DC flows in one direction and was hard to send over long distances at the time. Each power station could serve only a small area.
Q3: Edison was nicknamed the Wizard of Menlo Park. In which US state was Menlo Park?
Answer: New Jersey
Edison's laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, was one of the first research labs. Many inventions were developed there by his team.
Q4: In which year did Edison's team demonstrate a long-lasting practical light bulb?
Answer: 1879
Other inventors had made electric lights before, but Edison's carbon filament bulb lasted much longer. He also built systems to power them.
Q5: Which invention, announced by Edison in 1877, could record and play back sound?
Answer: The phonograph
The first words Edison recorded were from the rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb. The phonograph made him famous worldwide.
Q6: Roughly how many US patents did Edison receive in his lifetime?
Answer: More than 1,000
Edison held 1,093 US patents, many developed with his team. They covered electric light, sound recording, film cameras and batteries.
Q7: Which 1893 event was lit by Westinghouse's AC system, helping Tesla's side win the public?
Answer: The Chicago World's Fair
The World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago glowed with about 100,000 lights. Millions of visitors saw AC power in action.
Q8: According to Tesla, how much money did Edison's company promise him and then refuse to pay, calling it a joke?
Answer: 50,000 dollars
Tesla said he was told he did not understand American humor. Historians are not sure every detail is true, but the story became famous.
Q9: In 1892, Edison's company merged with another to form which famous corporation?
Answer: General Electric
General Electric was formed from Edison General Electric and the Thomson-Houston company. Edison soon lost control of it.
Q10: In 1888, Tesla patented which important machine that runs on alternating current?
Answer: The induction motor
Tesla's induction motor is still used in many machines today. Westinghouse bought the rights to his AC patents.
Q11: Who lived longer?
Answer: Nikola Tesla
Edison died in 1931 at age 84, and Tesla died in 1943 at age 86. Tesla spent his last years in a New York hotel.
Q12: Which type of current is used in most of the world's electricity grids today?
Answer: Alternating current
AC can be stepped up and down with transformers, making it easier to send over long distances. DC is still used in batteries and electronics.
Q13: Which 2017 film starred Benedict Cumberbatch as Edison and Nicholas Hoult as Tesla?
Answer: The Current War
The Current War also featured Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse. The Prestige features David Bowie as Tesla.
Q14: In which country was Thomas Edison born in 1847?
Answer: The United States
Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, and grew up in Port Huron, Michigan. He had very little formal schooling.
Q15: Which modern car company is named in honor of Nikola Tesla?
Answer: Tesla, Inc.
Tesla, Inc. was founded in 2003 and makes electric cars. Its electric motors build on ideas related to Tesla's work.

Tesla vs Edison Quiz – The War of the Currents

Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla are two of the most famous inventors in history, and their rivalry is a favorite story in science. Edison, born in Ohio in 1847, became known as the Wizard of Menlo Park for his New Jersey laboratory, where his team developed the phonograph in 1877 and a practical light bulb in 1879.

Tesla, a Serbian-American engineer, worked briefly for Edison's company in New York in 1884. He later said he was promised 50,000 dollars for improving Edison's machines and was told it was only a joke. The two had very different ideas about how to power the world.

Edison promoted direct current, while Tesla's alternating current, backed by George Westinghouse, could travel much farther. This War of the Currents became public and bitter. AC won the most important battles, lighting the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and powering the Niagara Falls plant.

Edison's company merged into General Electric in 1892, and he kept inventing until his death in 1931. Tesla died in 1943. Today, AC powers most electricity grids, and a famous electric car company carries Tesla's name, while Edison's inventions shaped music, film and lighting.

What This Quiz Teaches

Edison's inventions and Menlo Park
Tesla's AC system and induction motor
The War of the Currents
The 1893 Chicago World's Fair
General Electric and Westinghouse
Their legacy today

Quick Facts About Tesla and Edison

Edison held 1,093 US patents.
Tesla spoke several languages.
Edison was partly deaf for most of his life.
Tesla had a remarkable visual memory.
Both have units, companies or awards named after them.
Edison also helped develop early motion picture cameras.