In the nineteenth century, study and initial research on the science of electricity paved the way for a number of inventors to develop a realistic and inexpensive electrical home lighting device. Sir Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison were able to invent the initial light bulb. In the following years, people all over the world accepted the invention of light bulbs and started using them as the prime source of lighting.
Lighting has been made available to mankind for centuries. However, before the invention of the light bulb, lighting was a messy and difficult job since it involved the use of fire, wax, fat and oil. This practice was risky and perilous on a number of occasions and almost always left soot on everything around the lighting source. These shortcomings in traditional lighting sources created the need of electrical light bulbs.
The modern light bulb is a very simple device. Even with modernity and ongoing development, the light bulb has not been altered much from its initial design. At the base of a light bulb, there are two metal contacts that connect to the ends of an electrical circuit. These contacts are attached to two stiff wires that are connected to a thin metal filament.
The filament in a light bulb is made of a long and microscopic length of tungsten metal. Tungsten is used in most incandescent light bulbs as it is considered to be an ideal filament material. A thinner conductor is known to heat more easily than a thicker conductor. They are more resistant to the movement of electrons, which are known to emit light in most sources.
All the parts used to make a light bulb are housed in a glass bulb. This is filled with an inert gas, usually argon. When the bulb is connected to a power supply, electric current flows from one contact to the other, through the wires and the filament. This electric current heats the atoms within the light bulb. This entire process allows us to experience lighting. Light bulbs only work for a certain period of time, and need to be replaced once they stop functioning x96 most people say the bulb has ‘blown out’ and simply purchase a new one to replace it.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
LED Light Bulbs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsLight is made up of photons which are, in simple words, packages of energy. An excited electron releases photons. The color of the light depends on the wavelength, which in turn depends on the energy released by the electrons. With Edison’s light bulb, mankind moved...
Read More -
History of the Light Bulb
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsThe history of the invention and evolution of the light bulb bears testimony of the endeavors of many scientists, physicists, and even chemists. The history of light bulbs is as old as two centuries. Sir Humphrey Davy worked out a formulation for the electric arc...
Read More -
Light Bulb
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsWe revel in the beauty of what we see all around us. We admire flowers, see ourselves in the mirror, and consider ourselves lucky to have optical sensation. But we don’t always remember that it is light reflected from the surface of objects that enables...
Read More -
Halogen Light Bulb
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsHalogen lamps were invented in the 1950s. A high-temperature, long-lasting tungsten filament was enclosed in quartz. The quartz enclosure was filled with halogen, producing a bright white light with a bluish tint. Halogen is extremely reactive, and the halogen cycle which leads to the production...
Read More -
Light Fixtures
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsIt is impossible to imagine life without lights. Modernization has made it a necessity. However, in the context of lighting, it is not just the light source that plays an important role in people’s lives. Lights would not be available had it not been for...
Read More -
Fluorescent Light Bulb
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsFlorescent bulbs come in a range of colors. They herald the new age of the light bulb. The operation of florescent bulbs is based on the knowledge of how atoms behave when they are energized. This basic knowledge is used in all types of light...
Read More -
Flashlight Bulbs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsBulbs form the core of all flashlights. An integral part of every lighting device, bulbs help in making our lives brighter and more secure. However, like all things, they need replacement too after a limited number of years. And to replace them with equally efficient...
Read More -
What You Need To Know About Lights
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsLight refers to a type of energy that is radiated by moving charged particles that is visible to the human eye. The most prominent light source is the sun. Lights are known to act like particles at times, and like waves at other times. All...
Read More -
Tulip Bulbs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsTulips grow from bulbs. Little leaves nurse a baby bud in the center of each bulb. The white bulb that looks like an onion covers the bud, and provides it with all the nourishment it requires in order to sprout and grow. Tulips grow easily...
Read More -
Lighting Fixtures
10 August 2010 8:30 PM | No CommentsLighting fixtures refer to a variety of bulb holders. Lamp fixtures are often accompanied by shades, enclosures or cases that hold the bulb in. A bulb, wiring and circuit are essential for light to emanate in the first place. A fixture’s role is considered minimal...
Read More