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why did edison invent the phonograph

by Alysa Crist Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would transcribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape, which could later be sent over the telegraph repeatedly. This development led Edison to speculate that a telephone message could also be recorded in a similar fashion.

Full Answer

How did Thomas Edison make the phonograph?

Thomas Edison created many inventions, but his favorite was the phonograph. While working on improvements to the telegraph and the telephone, Edison figured out a way to record sound on tinfoil-coated cylinders. In 1877, he created a machine with two needles: one for recording and one for playback. When Edison spoke into the mouthpiece, the sound vibrations of his voice would be indented onto the cylinder by the recording needle.

Did Edison actually invent anything?

Thomas Edison was a brilliant inventor; he is credited with many famous inventions, including the phonograph, the kinetoscope (early motion picture), the dictaphone, and electric lamp (in particular the incandescent light bulb). He also greatly improved the telephone by inventing the carbon microphone.

What inventions did Thomas Edison invent?

What are 10 inventions of Thomas Edison?

  • Phonograph.
  • Durable light bulb (40 hours)
  • Electrical Vote Recorder Quadruplex,
  • Sextuplex and multiplex telegraph.
  • Carbon microphone.
  • Electricity distribution system.
  • First commercial fluoroscope (for X-Ray examinations)
  • Stock ticker.

How many inventions did Thomas Edison make?

  • Phonograph.
  • Durable light bulb (40 hours)
  • Quadruplex Electrical Ballot Recorder,
  • Sextuplex and multiplex telegraph.
  • Carbon microphone.
  • Electricity distribution system.
  • First commercial fluoroscope (for X-ray examinations)
  • Stock ticket.

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What is the purpose of phonograph?

phonograph, also called record player, instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc. A phonograph disc, or record, stores a replica of sound waves as a series of undulations in a sinuous groove inscribed on its rotating surface by the stylus.

When did Edison invent the phonograph?

1877In fact, the phonograph was his favorite invention. The first phonograph was invented in 1877 at the Menlo Park lab.

Why was the phonograph an important invention?

The phonograph allowed people to listen to whatever music they wanted, when they wanted, where they wanted, and for as long as they wanted. People began listening to music differently, people could now analyze lyrics in depth. The phonograph was also instrumental in the development of jazz.

Why was the phonograph important in the industrial revolution?

The phonograph was like an innovation of the phonautograph because unlike the phonoautograph which could only record sounds, the phonograph could record sounds and play them back. With the invention of the phonograph, the “Acoustic Era” of recording began and lasted until 1925.

How did Edison's inventions changed the world?

One of the most famous and prolific inventors of all time, Thomas Alva Edison exerted a tremendous influence on modern life, contributing inventions such as the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, and the motion picture camera, as well as improving the telegraph and telephone.

What was Thomas Edison's favorite invention?

The PhonographThomas Edison's Favorite Invention: The Phonograph.

What was Edison's first important invention?

Answer: Edison's first important invention was a machine for sending messages. In those days only one message could be sent along a wire at a time. Edison's invention made it possible to send a number of messages at the same time.

How did the phonograph affect communication?

Edison's phonograph was able to reach far more people than would be possible with in-person conferences and performances. Musical recordings would serve to bridge gaps between people in a time when financial and ethnic difference were further segregating the population.

Who invented the phonograph in 1877?

Thomas Edison'sThe phonograph was developed as a result of Thomas Edison's work on two other inventions, the telegraph and the telephone. In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would transcribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape, which could later be sent over the telegraph repeatedly.

What did Thomas Edison invent in 1877?

the phonographThomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a way to record and play back sound.

What was invented in 1885?

1885—Karl Benz invents the first practical automobile powered by an internal-combustion engine. 1885—Gottlieb Daimler invents the first gas-engine motorcycle. 1886—John Pemberton introduces Coca-Cola.

How much did a phonograph cost in 1920?

In addition, phonograph records were for the first time being recorded electrically, which also improved the sound quality. Selling for as little as $50.00 (and for more than $300.00), these new machines were an immediate success, and quickly brought profitability (and prestige) back to Victor.

When was the phonograph invented?

The first phonograph was invented in 1877 at the Menlo Park lab. A piece of tin-foil was wrapped around the cylinder in the middle. You shouted a short message into the piece on one side of the cylinder while you turned the handle. Inside this piece was a needle. Your voice would make the needle shake, or vibrate.

What did Edison call his baby?

Later phonographs played records. The first ones were in the shape of a cylinder, with the music on the outside. Later records were shaped like discs, or large CDs. Edison loved the phonograph so much that he called it his "baby". He improved it over and over for the next fifty years.

Who said I have not heard a bird sing since I was twelve?

In 1885, Thomas Edison wrote, "I have not heard a bird sing since I was twelve.". No one is really sure just how Edison lost most of his hearing. Yet this man invented the first machine that could capture sound and play it back. In fact, the phonograph was his favorite invention.

Can a needle play back a recorded message?

A needle on the other side could play back what you had just recorded. After just a few plays, the tin-foil would tear up and the message could no longer be played. That is why the tin-foil recordings cannot be played anymore. Later phonographs played records.

When was the Edison speaking phonograph invented?

The Edison Speaking Phonograph Company was established on January 24, 1878, to exploit the new machine by exhibiting it.

How much did the Edison concert phonograph cost?

The Edison Concert Phonograph, which had a louder sound and a larger cylinder measuring 4.25" long and 5" in diameter, was introduced in 1899, retailing for $125 and the large cylinders for $4.

What was Edison's first invention?

His initial work, though, closely followed the improvements made by Bell and Tainter, especially in its use of wax cylinders, and was called the New Phonograph. The Edison Phonograph Company was formed on October 8, 1887, to market Edison's machine.

What color were Edison's cylinders?

Although called by this name, the cylinders could range in color from off-white to light tan to dark brown.

How much did Thomas Edison get for the tin foil?

Edison received $10,000 for the manufacturing and sales rights and 20% of the profits. As a novelty, the machine was an instant success, but was difficult to operate except by experts, and the tin foil would last for only a few playings.

When did Edison start recording messages?

In 1877 , Edison was working on a machine that would transcribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape, which could later be sent over the telegraph repeatedly. This development led Edison to speculate that a telephone message could also be recorded in a similar fashion.

When did Thomas Edison file for a patent?

Although it was later stated that the date for this event was on August 12, 1877, some historians believe that it probably happened several months later, since Edison did not file for a patent until December 24, 1877. Also, the diary of one of Edison's aides, Charles Batchelor, ...

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1.Edison's Invention of the Phonograph - ThoughtCo

Url:https://www.thoughtco.com/invention-of-the-phonograph-4156528

26 hours ago  · Edison also envisioned the phonograph transforming the tradition of listening to orations on national holidays: "It will henceforth be possible to preserve for future generations the voices as well as the words of our Washington, our Lincolns, our Gladstones, etc., and to have them give us their 'greatest effort' in every town and hamlet in the country, upon our holidays."

2.Videos of Why Did Edison Invent The Phonograph

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12 hours ago  · The phonograph was developed as a result of Thomas Edison’s work on two other inventions, the telegraph and the telephone. In 1877, Edison was working on a machine that would transcribe telegraphic messages through indentations on paper tape, which could later be sent over the telegraph repeatedly. Thomas Alva Edison conceived the principle of recording and …

3.Edison’s Invention of the Phonograph – History of Sound …

Url:https://recordinghistory.org/technology/phonograph-record-technologies-from-the-beginning-almost-to-the-end/edisons-invention-of-the-phonograph/

28 hours ago Thomas Edison created many inventions, but his favorite was the phonograph. While working on improvements to the telegraph and the telephone, Edison figured out a way to record sound on tinfoil-coated cylinders. In 1877, he created a machine with two needles: one for recording and one for playback. When Edison spoke into the mouthpiece, the sound vibrations of his voice …

4.The Phonograph - Thomas Edison National Historical …

Url:https://www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/the-phonograph.htm

29 hours ago By using the electromagnet to vibrate a steel stylus, Edison hoped to inscribe a record of the original sound wave into the wax. His idea was not simply to study the nature of recorded sound, but to reproduce the sound as well. That required a …

5.Home | Library of Congress

Url:https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-cylinder-phonograph/

29 hours ago Thomas Edison in an ad for the phonograph. Edison Invents the Phonograph. "Mary had a little lamb" were the first words that Edison recorded on the phonograph and he was amazed when he heard the machine play them back to him. In 1878, Edison established the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company to sell the new machine. Edison suggested other uses for the …

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