Power converters are so common to our appliances that we hardly give them any thought. When my cell phone battery runs down, I plug the adapter into the lighter in the car. I can still talk and drive and recharge my phone. This is amazing technology when you think about it, yet I've seen adapters sell for as little as 99 cents.

Power Converters Make Life Easier

Power converters change power from one type to another type. For example, power converters change a DC current to an AC current, or vice versa. This is why a radio can run when it's plugged in or when it has a battery. That's useful when you need to use a device in situations where portability is an issue.

Before energy could be so conveniently adapted, it had to be refined. Thomas Edison built the first useful DC generator. Using direct current as a source, Edison was able to provide light in his lab, and even create the first electricity based street lamps in 1882. This advancement was the first step in revolutionizing our modern world.

AC or DC?

George Westinghouse decided that the future lay in AC rather than DC current. This was a truly visionary discovery. It would be easy to assume people would prefer devices to run on batteries. After all, portable radios are light and easy to carry (though they weren't too light a century ago). Regardless, Westinghouse suspected that people would find AC electric current more convenient than having to constantly replace batteries in appliances.