Students are encouraged to read this patent thoroughly many times, and to make sure the definition of each word used is understood. It is the foundation of many aspects of electricity that we now take for granted, and were first introduced here. When you read this patent, you're reading a revolutionary document for its time. Direct current power transmission is absolutely condemned and executed here.

One key element of this revolution is the use of induction. When you first encounter this phenomenon, it looks like magic. Current flowing in one place can cause current flowing nearby to flow without a physical connection. It is possible to make the current flowing in the second place different from the first, by changing the way wires in windings are arranged as explained in this patent. Take some time to understand what this means, as it is key to all modern electricity, electronics, and integrated circuit design.

This patent is valuable in helping to understand how transformers work. All contemporary electrical power distribution systems rely extensively on transformation of voltages. All transformers rely on induction, and Tesla gives us a concise statement about how this works.