George Westinghouse

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/george-westinghouse

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was George Westinghouse born?October 6, 1846
2. When did George Westinghouse die?March 12, 1914 (age 67)
3. Where was George Westinghouse born?Central Bridge, New York, USA
4. What is the career?Inventor, industrialist, founder of Westinghouse Electric Company
5. What did George Westinghouse invent to make trains safer?He invented the automatic air brake in 1869. It used compressed air to apply brakes on all cars at once and automatically engaged if the air line broke.
6. Why was George Westinghouse important for electricity?He helped develop alternating current (AC) systems. By working with Nikola Tesla, he showed AC could power big events like the 1893 World's Fair.

Automatic Air Brake: A fail-safe pneumatic braking system for trains that automatically applies brakes upon loss of air pressure, significantly enhancing safety.
Alternating Current (AC): An electrical current characterized by periodic reversals of direction, enabling efficient long-distance transmission and variable voltage transformation.
Direct Current (DC): An electrical current that flows in only one direction, requiring more power stations for distribution over comparable distances to AC.
Industrial Revolution: A period of major industrialization and innovation that took place during the late 18th and 19th centuries, profoundly changing society.