Explore Nikola Tesla’s life through this reading comprehension worksheet.
Perfect for improving reading skills and learning about important inventors.
Nikola Tesla — Reading Comprehension Practice
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Read the passage, then try the questions. Every answer is in the text above them — if you are not sure, go back and look rather than guessing. The last question asks for the order the passage tells things in.
Nikola Tesla — Inventor and electrical engineer — the AC power system
Nikola Tesla was one of the most imaginative inventors who ever lived. Born in Smiljan, Serbia on July 10, 1856, he displayed extraordinary memory and mathematical ability from a very young age. He could memorize entire books and visualize complex machines entirely in his mind before building them.
After studying engineering in Europe, Tesla moved to the United States in 1884. He initially worked for Thomas Edison, but the two men had different visions. Edison preferred direct current (DC) electricity, while Tesla believed alternating current (AC) was superior. Tesla was right, and AC electricity is the system used to power homes and businesses around the world today.
Tesla invented the AC induction motor, the transformer, and the Tesla coil — a device still used in electronics today. He held over 300 patents in his lifetime. He also conducted pioneering research in radio communication, X-rays, and remote control technology.
Tesla dreamed of providing free wireless energy to the entire world. He built a massive tower called Wardenclyffe Tower in New York, hoping to transmit electricity through the air. Unfortunately, his funding was cut and the tower was never completed.
Although Tesla did not always receive the credit he deserved during his lifetime, his genius is fully recognized today. The unit of magnetic field strength is named the ‘tesla’ in his honour. His inventions helped build the electrical world we live in.
Question 1
What did Tesla and Edison disagree about?
Edison backed direct current, Tesla backed alternating current. The passage says plainly which way it went: AC is what powers homes today.
Question 2
What was Wardenclyffe Tower meant to do?
Tesla wanted to send free wireless energy through the air. His funding was cut and the tower was never finished — the passage gives the dream and the reason it stopped.
Question 3
How many patents did Tesla hold?
Over 300. The passage also mentions 1856 and 1884, so check which number a question is actually asking for.
Question 4
How is Tesla honoured in science today?
The tesla is the unit of magnetic field strength. Having a unit named after you is one of the higher honours in physics.
Question 5 — select all that apply
Select every thing the passage says Tesla invented or researched, then press Check.
The AC induction motor, the Tesla coil and remote control technology — plus the transformer, radio research and X-rays. The telephone, steam engine and printing press are other people’s work and are not in the passage.
Question 6 — put them in order
Click these in the order the passage tells them.
Childhood memory, the move to America in 1884, the inventions, then the tower that was never finished.
Think about it — from the worksheet
What is the difference between AC and DC electricity, and why did Tesla’s AC system win out?
What was Wardenclyffe Tower, and why was Tesla’s dream for it never completed?
How is Tesla honoured in science today, and do you think he deserves more recognition? Explain.