In basic general knowledge on inventions in communication technology, the telegraphic code used in the earliest electric telegraph systems was introduced by which inventor?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Samuel Morse

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:

The invention of the telegraph and the telegraphic code completely changed long distance communication in the nineteenth century. Before this breakthrough, messages could travel only as fast as ships, horses, or railways could move. The question tests basic history of science and technology, asking you to recall which inventor designed the code that allowed words and sentences to be sent over electric wires using short and long signals, often described as dots and dashes.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • We are dealing with the early period of electric telegraphy.
  • The focus is on the inventor of the telegraphic code itself, not simply any communication device.
  • Options list four famous figures from the history of science and communication technology.


Concept / Approach:

To answer correctly, we need to connect each name with the specific invention they are known for. Samuel Morse is linked with the electric telegraph and the coding system that bears his name. Alexander Graham Bell is famous for the telephone. Guglielmo Marconi is linked with wireless telegraphy or radio. Michael Faraday is mainly associated with electromagnetism and electrical induction, not with a specific telegraphic code.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Recall which inventor is associated with Morse code, a system of dots and dashes. Step 2: Recognise that Morse code is the classic telegraphic code used in early wired telegraph systems. Step 3: Match this code with the name Samuel Morse, an American inventor and painter. Step 4: Check that the other options match different inventions and therefore cannot be correct for the telegraphic code.


Verification / Alternative check:

Another way to verify is to think of the phrase used in many textbooks and competitive exam guides, which usually refer to Morse code as the standard telegraphic code. No other code listed, such as any system by Bell or Marconi, is commonly used as the name for the standard telegraph coding system in early wired networks.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Alexander Graham Bell is best known for inventing the telephone, not for a telegraphic code.

Guglielmo Marconi pioneered wireless telegraphy and radio transmission, but the question is about the original wired telegraphic code.

Michael Faraday made fundamental discoveries in electricity and magnetism, such as electromagnetic induction, but he did not design the telegraphic code used for sending coded messages.


Common Pitfalls:

Candidates sometimes confuse Marconi with Morse since both worked with communication over distance. Others may pick Bell simply because he is a famous communication inventor. The key is to connect the word code with Morse code specifically.


Final Answer:

The telegraphic code used in the earliest electric telegraph systems was introduced by Samuel Morse.

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