I learned about four inventions this week and they were the electromechanical relay, the revolver, Morse code, and the circuit breaker. First, I learned about the electromechanical relay. The inventor of the electromechanical relay, Joseph Henry, born in 1797 in New York, was interested in science and became a state engineer after college. Relays allow remote operation of circuits and are powered by strong electromagnets. They can be used as signal amplifiers and it made the telegraph possible.

Second, I learned about the revolver. The inventor of the revolver was Samuel Colt, born in 1814. He grew fascinated by science and built his own battery. Its name comes from the rotating cylinder and its revolver is a gun called a pistol. Colt’s factoring spread interchangeable parts expertise to other industries.

Third, I learned about Morse code. The inventor of Morse code, Samuel Morse born in 1791 became a well-connected painter of presidential portraits. Morse code takes advantage of telegraph’s features and Morse encoded the alphabet into dots and dashes. It transmits about 30 words per minute. Morse code replaces religious oaths with personal experience.

Finally, I learned about the circuit breaker. The inventor of the circuit breaker, Charles Grafton, born in 1812, went to mechanical school and was interested in electricity. Through experiments, he gained a deep insight of electromagnetism. The circuit breaker protects cables from short circuit damage and short circuit goes from 0.5 amp to 500. They are basic components in modern power before electricity, gas, and oil lamps.