Why Did Edison and Westinghouse Advocate Different Electricity Systems?

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The discussion centers around the historical context of the differing electricity systems advocated by Edison and Westinghouse, specifically exploring the reasons behind their firm stances beyond technological advantages.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster seeks to identify various reasons for the differing approaches of Edison and Westinghouse, while others suggest considering human factors such as commercial advantage and pride. There is also a mention of the scale of generating stations as a point of differentiation.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring different perspectives on the motivations behind each inventor's approach, with some guidance provided regarding the human elements influencing their decisions. The discussion is ongoing, with no explicit consensus reached yet.

Contextual Notes

The original poster is looking for reasons beyond technological advantages, indicating a focus on broader motivations and implications in the historical context of electricity generation.

chopstick
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when a question is asking for reasons (except technological advantage) why each party held firmly to their own method for generating electricity, what should i consider of , and where can i find those reasons?
 
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Edison was thinking of LOTS of small generating stations powering small systems. Westinghouse (thanks to Tesla) was thinking much bigger. You can extend AC systems over very long distances with smaller conductors and reduce the cost of the distribution network and reduce line-losses.
 

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