Nikola Tesla’s name is closely associated with the modern alternating-current electrical system.
Tesla developed and patented important alternating-current motors and power systems in the 1880s. His induction motor used a rotating magnetic field and helped make AC practical for transmitting electricity over long distances.
Tesla’s work became central to the so-called War of the Currents, a commercial and technological contest between alternating current and Thomas Edison’s direct-current system. George Westinghouse licensed Tesla’s AC patents and supported their use in power distribution.
Tesla did not invent every part of AC technology, and earlier scientists had already studied alternating currents. His major contribution was a workable system of polyphase generation, transmission, and motors that could be deployed at scale.