Nokea
Croatian-born inventor Nikola Tesla is often called the "forgotten scientist". Although he
invented the alternating current (AC) motor and developed an AC electricity generation system, he never received historical credit for many of his achievements, unlike one of his first employer and eventual nemesis, inventor Thomas Edison
Tesla made the first sketches of his idea for a brushless of his idea for a brushless AC motor while he was a student at the University of Prague in 1882. His interest in electricity generation led him to Paris where he was employed by the Continental Edison Company later that year to repair Edison's direct current (DC) power plants. Two years later, Tesla immigrated to New York City and acquired a job as an engineer at
Thomas Edison's headquarters in Manhattan. Edison was impressed with Tesla's work ethic and
ingenuity. He challenged the young scientist to develop an improved design for his DC
generators for $50,000. Tesla experimented for months, finally presenting Edison with the
solution he needed. Edison reneged on the deal, telling Tesla that he didn't understand American humor. Tesla soon left Edison in order to begin his own electric light company
Tesla filed and was granted more than 30 patents for his inventions in 1887 and 1888. He soon
had financial backing for his ideas from one of Edison' main competitors, Westinghouse. In the
1890's Tesla experimented with x-rays, developed a high-voltage electrical transformer call the
Tesla coil, and demonstrated the propagation of radio waves two years before the "Father of
Radio" Guglielmo Marconi. He was also the first to harness the mammoth potential energy of
Niagara Falls. He worked with General Electric to install AC generators with turbines driven by the falling waters of the Niagara River, creating the first modern power plant although a brilliant scientist, Tesla was not an astute businessman. He created his own obscurity by relinquishing
royalty rights for his inventions to major corporations for the purpose of raising funds for future projects.
What is the meaning of the word 'mammoth' as it is used in the fourth paragraph?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In the context of the fourth paragraph, the word 'mammoth' is used to describe the potential energy of Niagara Falls. The term 'mammoth' means massive or huge, emphasizing the enormous scale and power of the energy source. Therefore, the correct answer is 'D: Massive.' This word choice highlights the immense size and significance of the energy source being harnessed by Tesla, aligning with the description of Niagara Falls as a massive potential energy resource.