SVEUILITE U RIJECI TEHNIKI FAKULTET ELEKTROTEHNIKA

ENGLESKI JEZIK 2 SEMINAR WORK:

Ime i prezime Mati i !ro" O("e a

Boris tih ##$%#&$'%2

Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison was one of greatest scientists and inventors of all time. During his life he patented 1093 inventions in U A! and man" more in Europe.

Early life
Edison was born in 1847, in Milan, Ohio. e went to s!hool "or onl# three months be!a$se he had %roblems with !on!entration. is onl# tea!her was his mother, and also his &reatest s$%%ort, as he re!alled later: 'M# mother was the makin& o" me. She was so tr$e, so s$re o" me( and ) "elt ) had somethin& to li*e "or, someone ) m$st not disa%%oint.' +t an earl# a&e, he showed a "as!ination "or me!hani!al thin&s and Young Thomas "or !hemi!al e,%eriments. +t the a&e o" twel*e he started makin& mone# workin& as salesman at the train station. e sa*ed his earnin& "or e-$i%ment "or a small laborator#. Edison de*elo%ed hearin& %roblems at an earl# a&e, res$ltin& with dea"ness at the a&e o" twel*e.

Beginning of career
Thomas, who started his !areer as a salesman, soon started workin& as a ni&ht.shi"t tele&ra%her. /e&end sa#s that when he sa*ed a three.#ear.old bo# "rom bein& r$n o*er b# a train in 1801, the &rate"$l "ather, a skilled tele&ra%her, o""ered to tea!h him his *er# marketable skill. 2orkin& ni&ht shi"ts allowed him %lent# o" time to s%end at his two "a*orite %astimes3readin& and e,%erimentin&. E*ent$all#, the latter %re. o!!$%ation !ost him his 4ob. One ni&ht in 1807, he was workin& with a lead. a!id batter# when he s%illed s$l"$ri! a!id onto the "loor. )t ran between the "loorboards and onto his boss5s desk below. The ne,t mornin& Edison was "ired. Some o" Edison5s earliest in*entions were related to tele&ra%h#. e be&an his in*entin& !areer as an in*entor in 6ewark, 6ew 7erse#, with the a$tomati! re%eater and his other im%ro*ed tele&ra%hi! de*i!es. )n 1870, Edison be&an !onstr$!tion o" a lar&e resear!h laborator# at Menlo 8ark, near 6ew 9ork. e !alled it an :in*ention "a!tor#.; That was the world5s "irst ind$strial resear!h laborator#. The in*ention whi!h "irst &ained him %$bli! noti!e was the %hono&ra%h in 1877. This was so $ne,%e!ted b# the %$bli!, that he was !alled 'The 2i<ard o" #enlo par$ %a& Menlo 8ark'. )n 1887, Edison had b$ilt a new, lar&er laborator# in 2est

Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison

Oran&e, 6ew 7erse#. The "a!ilit# in!l$ded a ma!hine sho%, %hono&ra%h and %hoto&ra%h de%artments, a librar#, and an!illar# b$ildin&s "or metall$r&#, !hemistr#, woodworkin&, and &al*anometer testin&s. The n$mber o" =,>>> %ersons was e*ent$all# em%lo#ed there, in!l$din& his assistants, who were e,%erts in areas where Edison was de"i!ient or those who had similar interests.

Personal life
Edison married twi!e and was the "ather o" si, !hildren. )n 1871, Edison married Mar# Stilwell with whom he had three !hildren. Mar# died o" t#%hoid "e*er in 1884. Two #ears later, Edison married Mina Miller, the da$&hter o" an in*entor, and had three more !hildren. +ll his li"e Edison was o!!$%ied with his interests. )t was Edison?s &oal to in*ent somethin& new e*er# ten da#s and "or se*eral #ears. e has been !hara!teri<ed as a workaholi!. 2hen he started workin& on somethin&, he !o$ld not sto% thinkin& abo$t that, whi!h led him to so man# in*entions, b$t also to man# %roblems in so!ial li"e. Thomas Edison died o" !om%li!ations o" diabetes on O!tober 18, 1@A1, in his home, 'Blenmont' in /lewell#n 8ark in 2est Oran&e, 6ew 7erse#, whi!h he had %$r!hased in 1880 as a weddin& &i"t "or Mina. e is b$ried behind the home.

Some of important inventions

ELECTRIC VOTE RECORDER )n 1808 Edison bo$&ht a !o%# o" Mi!hael Carada#?s book, E'perimental (esearches in Electricit"! and %er"ormed all o" the e,%eriments in the book. +t ni&ht, instead o" slee%in&, he e,%erimented with ele!tri!al !$rrents. +s a res$lt o" this e,%eriments, he !ame to his "irst in*ention to re!ei*e a %atent was the ele!tri! *ote re!order, in 7$ne ne,t #ear. Dis!o$ra&ed b# %oliti!ians5 $nwillin& to $se the ma!hine, he de!ided that in the "$t$re he wo$ld not waste time in*entin& thin&s that no one wanted.

PHONOGRAPH Edison5s e,%eriments with the tele%hone and the tele&ra%h led to his in*ention o" the %hono&ra%h in 1877. )t o!!$rred to him that so$nd !o$ld be
Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison
Edisons drawing of phonograph

re!orded as indentations on a ra%idl#.mo*in& %ie!e o" %a%er. e e*ent$all# "orm$lated a ma!hine with a tin"oil.!oated !#linder and a dia%hra&m. The ma!hine had two needles: one "or re!ordin& and one "or %la#ba!k. 2hen #o$ s%oke into the mi!ro%hone, !alled mo$th%ie!e, the so$nd *ibrations o" #o$r *oi!e wo$ld be indented onto the !#linder b# the re!ordin& needle. This !#linder %hono&ra%h was the "irst ma!hine that !o$ld re!ord and re%rod$!e so$nd. On the other hand, this ma!hine had a %oor so$nd -$alit# and re!ordin&s !o$ld be %la#ed onl# "or "ew times. The Edison S%eakin& 8hono&ra%h Eom%an# was established earl# in 1878 to market the ma!hine, b$t the initial no*elt# *al$e o" the %hono&ra%h wore o"", and Edison t$rned his attention elsewhere.

ELECRTICITY AND LIGHTBULB B# the late.187>s, Edison had earned the re%$tation as someone who !o$ld do an#thin&, so when he anno$n!ed that he !o$ld &reatl# im%ro*e the in!andes!ent li&htb$lb, the sto!k %ri!es o" &asli&ht !om%anies dro%%ed drasti!all#. Eontrar# to %o%$lar belie", he didn5t 'in*ent' the li&htb$lb, he -$ite im%ro*ed the in*ention that was %atented b# enr# 2oodward in 187=. Edison5s e*ent$al a!hie*ement was in*entin& not 4$st an in!andes!ent ele!tri! li&ht, b$t also an ele!tri! li&htin& s#stem that !ontained all the elements ne!essar# to make the in!andes!ent li&ht %ra!ti!al, sa"e, and e!onomi!al. e $sed a !arbon "ilament that b$rned "or "ort# ho$rs. Edison %la!ed his "ilament in an o,#&en.less F*a!$$mG b$lb. e Thomas Edison)s first %atented his idea and %romoted his *ersion o" successful light &ul& model! the li&htb$lb. )n 187@ Edison &randl# used in pu&lic demonstrated his li&ht.b$lb b# li&htin& $% his demonstration at #enlo laborator# and hal" a mile o" streets in Menlo *ar$ 8ark. The "ollowin& #ear he "o$nded the Edison Ele!tri! )ll$minatin& Eom%an# o" 6ew 9ork, whi!h e*ent$all# be!ame Beneral Ele!tri!. )n same #ear Edison !ontin$ed im%ro*in& his li&htb$lb $ntil it !o$ld last "or o*er 11>> ho$rs $sin& a bamboo.deri*ed "ilament. 2hile most o" the attention was on the dis!o*er# o" the ri&ht kind o" "ilament that wo$ld work, Edison a!t$all# had to in*ent a total o" se*en s#stem elements that were !riti!al to the %ra!ti!al a%%li!ation o" ele!tri! li&hts as an alternati*e to the &as li&hts that were %re*alent in that da#. These were the de*elo%ment o":

Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison

1. the %arallel !ir!$it, 1. a d$rable li&ht b$lb, A. an im%ro*ed d#namo, 4. the $nder&ro$nd !ond$!tor network, =. the de*i!es "or maintainin& !onstant *olta&e, 0. sa"et# "$ses and ins$latin& materials, and 7. li&ht so!kets with on.o"" swit!hes.
The sign on the old &uilding of Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston

8.

+!t$all# he needed to de*elo% a method to &enerate and distrib$te ele!tri!it#. is !om%an# be&an o%eratin& the world?s "irst %ower station in 1881 on 8earl Street in 6ew 9ork Eit#. )t s$%%lied %ower to "o$r h$ndred in!andes!ent lam%s owned b# ei&ht#."i*e !$stomers. E$stomers $tili<ed a %arallel wirin& s#stem whi!h made it %ossible to t$rn o"" one lam% witho$t t$rnin& o$t all the others. e also dis!o*ered, b# !han!e, that ne&ati*el# !har&ed ele!trons wo$ld "low "rom the "ilament o" the in!andes!ent b$lb to %ositi*el# !har&ed metal3the Edison E""e!t. It )as the pri (ip*e !ehi + ,-a(..m t.!es,
.se+ i ra+io a + te*e-isio tra sistor0 re(ei-ers a + tra smitters !e/ore the i -e tio o/ the

MOTION PICTURES )n 1888, Edison met Eadweard M$#brid&e at 2est Oran&e and *iewed his ma!hine, whi!h $sed a !ir!$lar dis! with still %hoto&ra%hs o" the s$!!essi*e %hases o" mo*ement aro$nd the !ir!$m"eren!e to re!reate the ill$sion o" mo*ement. Edison de!lined to work with M$#brid&e on the de*i!e and de!ided to work on his own motion %i!t$re !amera at his laborator#. e !alled his de*i!e a 'Hinetos!o%e' $sin& the Breek words 'kineto' meanin& 'mo*ement' and 's!o%os' meanin& 'to wat!h.' The task o" in*entin& the ma!hine "ell to Edison5s asso!iate 2illiam H. /. Di!kson. )n O!tober o" 188@, Di!kson &reeted Edison5s ret$rn "rom 8aris with a new de*i!e that %ro4e!ted %i!t$res and !ontained so$nd. One o" Edison)s +,inetoscope+ Edison5s "irst motion %i!t$re and the "irst motion %i!t$re e*er !o%#ri&hted showed his em%lo#ee Cred Ott %retendin& to snee<e. One

Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison

%roblem was that a &ood "ilm "or motion %i!t$res was not a*ailable. )n 18@A, Eastman Hodak be&an s$%%l#in& motion %i!t$re "ilm sto!k, makin& it %ossible "or Edison to ste% $% the %rod$!tion o" new motion %i!t$res. e b$ilt a motion %i!t$re %rod$!tion st$dio in 6ew 7erse#. The st$dio had a roo" that !o$ld be o%ened to let in da#li&ht, and the entire b$ildin& was !onstr$!ted so that it !o$ld be mo*ed to sta# in line with the s$n. Edison was a&ainst %rod$!in& %ro4e!tors be!a$se he had "eelin& that more %ro"it was to be made with the %ee%hole *iewers. owe*er, a"ter !om%etition %rod$!ed "irst %ro4e!tor, the Edison Eom%an# de*elo%ed its own %ro4e!tor, known as the :8ro4e!tos!o%e;.

Edison vs. Tesla (War of currents)

+nother o" Edison5s assistants was 6ikola Tesla. Tesla !laimed that Edison %romised him I=>,>>> i" he s$!!eeded in makin& im%ro*ements to his DE &eneration %lants. Se*eral months later, when Tesla had "inished the work and asked to be %aid, he said that Edison re%lied, '2hen #o$ be!ome a "$ll."led&ed +meri!an #o$ will a%%re!iate an +meri!an 4oke.' )n the late 188>s, Tesla and Thomas Edison be!ame ri*als be!a$se o" Edison5s %romotion o" dire!t !$rrent FDEG "or ele!tri! %ower distrib$tion o*er the more e""i!ient alternatin& !$rrent re%resented b# Tesla. Jntil Tesla in*ented the ind$!tion motor, +E5s ad*anta&es "or lon& distan!e hi&h *olta&e transmission were !o$nterbalan!ed b# the inabilit# to o%erate motors on +E. )n 1887 there were 111 Edison %ower stations in the Jnited States deli*erin& DE ele!tri!it# to !$stomers. 2hen the limitations o" DE were dis!$ssed b# the %$bli!, Edison la$n!hed a %ro%a&anda !am%ai&n to !on*in!e %eo%le that +E was "ar too dan&ero$s to $se. The %roblem with DE was that the %ower %lants !o$ld e!onomi!all# deli*er DE ele!tri!it# onl# to !$stomers within abo$t one and a hal" miles Fabo$t 1.4 kmG "rom the &eneratin& station, so that it was s$itable onl# "or !entral b$siness distri!ts. +s a res$lt o" the '2ar o" E$rrents', Edison went nearl# bankr$%t. +E re%la!ed DE in most instan!es o" &eneration and %ower distrib$tion,
Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison

enormo$sl# e,tendin& the ran&e and im%ro*in& the e""i!ien!# o" %ower distrib$tion. Tho$&h wides%read $se o" DE $ltimatel# lost "a*or "or distrib$tion, it e,ists toda# %rimaril# in lon&.distan!e hi&h.*olta&e dire!t !$rrent F KDEG transmission s#stems.

Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison

 Sources:

htt%:LLen!#!lo%edia.4rank.or&Larti!lesL%a&esL01@0LEdison. Thomas.html htt%:LLmemor#.lo!.&o*LammemLedhtmlLedbio.html htt%:LLin*entors.abo$t.!omLlibrar#Lin*entorsLbledison.htm htt%:LLin*entors.abo$t.!omLlibrar#Lin*entorsLblli&ht1.htm htt%:LLen.wiki%edia.or&LwikiLThomasMEdisonN!iteMnote.11 htt%:LLwww.thomasedison.or&L htt%:LLwww.&oo&le.!omL htt%:LLen.wiki%edia.or&LwikiL6ikolaMTesla htt%:LLwww.ele!troherbalism.!omLBioele!troni!sLTeslaLTesla* ers$sEdison.htm Harry Henderson: Suvremene komunikacije, SysPrint, Zagreb, 1997.

Boris tih Seminar work: Thomas Edison