The Electric Telegraph:A Revolutionary Invention
How Does the Telegraph Work?
Morse's Sketches of the telegraph
A Video describing how the telegraph works
-Only one wire required to link the sending end to the receiving end, using the earth to complete the circuit.
-Sending end consists of a stylus with a metal tip on the end--when pressed, completes the circuit in the wire and sends an electric pulse to the receiving end
-Receiving end- a small electromagnet that is powered by the electric pulses--attracts a lever with a small, ink-covered wheel on the end
-Lever is attracted and goes down--wheel goes up, making contact with paper and creating either short or long ink marks (dots and dashes)
-The length of the ink marks depends on the duration of time that the person on the sending end holds down the stylus--creating electric pulses with different lengths.
-The dots and dashes are a form of code known as Morse Code.