Electric Chair Development and Controversies

In 1888, Thomas Edison funded the creation of an electric chair to replace hanging, using AC generators from rival George Westinghouse. The project aimed to associate AC with death. Edison distanced himself by employing Harold Brown, who tested the chair on animals and later humans. The execution of Topsy the elephant was a public spectacle. Human trials revealed the need for a sponge soaked in brine to improve conductivity. In 1888, the US commission recommended electricity as a clean execution method.

What was Thomas Edison's main goal in funding the electric chair project?

• To promote DC power as safer

• To support George Westinghouse

• To link AC power with death and horror

• To create a more humane execution method

Who was hired by Edison to work on the electric chair project?

• Harold Brown

• Alexander Graham Bell

• Nikola Tesla

• George Westinghouse

Which animal was famously executed as part of the electric chair tests?

• A tiger

• A horse

• A circus elephant named Topsy

• A lion

What was one of the main challenges faced during the human trials of the electric chair?

• Determining the right voltage

• Finding a reliable power source

• Managing the offensive smell

• Preventing skin burns

What solution did Brown develop to improve the conduction of electricity in the electric chair?

• Using rubber insulators

• Soaking a sponge in brine

• Increasing the voltage

• Using metal electrodes

Why did the US commission choose the electric chair as a method of execution?

• It was more humane than lethal injection

• It was considered a clean and immediate method

• It was cheaper than other methods

• It was easier to administer