The Rift Between Tesla and Edison - AC vs. DC - One Minute History

In 1884, engineer Nikola Tesla was hired by Thomas Edison's headquarters in New York City. Tesla idolized Edison, but the two had one fundamental disagreement. Edison favored DC, direct current, in which electricity flows in one direction, while Tesla believed in AC, or alternating current, in which electricity can flow in any direction. Their partnership turned into a rivalry when Tesla offered to improve upon Edison's DC motor and generator. A delighted Edison offered $50,000 if he succeeded. After months of work, Tesla did, but Edison dismissed the offer as a joke. Tesla promptly resigned and went to work for Edison's competitor, Westinghouse. Edison and Westinghouse battled over what type of electricity was more efficient. In the end, direct current's inability to travel long distances and transfer to higher voltages made alternating current the standard for distributing electricity to the world.