The Incandescent Light Bulb

The incandescent light bulb is an important discovery that improved people's lives in more ways than one. Before it was invented, lighting after dark was only possible through the use of gas, candles and/or oil lamps. The invention of the incandescent light bulb changed all that and ushered in a new era in the world of lighting as we know it. Lighting at night became cleaner, safer and much more effective.

Invention of the Light Bulb

Thomas Alva Edison is widely accepted as the person who invented the first incandescent light bulb viable for mass production. That was way back in 1879. Through the years, improvements have been made to Mr. Edison's invention, making it better and last longer.

Early versions of Mr. Edison most known invention made use of carbon for its filament and a bulb that was oxygen-free. Today, the filaments are made up of thin and coiled tungsten, and the bulbs are filled with inert gases, allowing it to glow longer.

Structure

An incandescent light bulb is composed of a thin metal filament, a glass bulb, metal contacts, support wires, a glass mount and connecting wires.

It is connected to a power source by metal contacts at its base. Connecting wires connect the metal contacts to the tungsten filament, which is held in place by support wires attached to the glass mount. Finally, a glass globe serves as the enclosure.

How It Works

The incandescent light bulb works under a very basic principle. When it is connected to an electric circuit, electricity flows through the metal contacts, through the connecting wires, all the way to the coiled tungsten filament. Electricity heats the tungsten filament at a temperature high enough for it to glow.

Advantages

Due to its low manufacturing costs, the incandescent light bulb is widely distributed commercially making it cheaper compared to other types of lighting sources. As a result, it is widely used in households and other commercial establishments.

Aside from these, it works well with either direct or alternating currents, and do not need regulating equipment.

Shift to Other Lighting Alternatives

Despite of its popularity, measures to phase out the incandescent light bulb are being pushed around the world. The move is to promote products that are more energy-efficient like compact fluorescent lamps and LED lamps.

However, this is opposed by some sectors, arguing that these alternatives cost more (initially), and contain mercury that could potentially be harmful to the environment.

The Incandescent Light Bulb

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The Incandescent Light Bulb

The Incandescent Light Bulb
The Incandescent Light Bulb

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Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

Any electrical contractor can explain that choosing the right light bulb wattage is not as simple as it seems. The first step is to select the proper wattage for the fixture that will not cause overheating or fires. Next, consider how wattage affects energy efficiency in the home. For example, a standard incandescent light bulb between 75 and 100 watts can be replaced with a 20 watt fluorescent bulb to achieve the same amount of light. Lastly, think about how much light output is required for the area, be it a kitchen or bedroom.

Selecting Wattage to Match Fixture

It's always important to match light bulb wattage with the fixture's specifications. An electrical contractor can explain that this is an important safety measure and prevents overheating. A common sign that the wrong light bulb wattage has been installed in a fixture is a brown spot on the insulation. The wiring may also become brittle from constant exposure to high temperatures from the bulb. Using the same wattage as required on the fixture's warning label can prevent accidental household fires.

Efficiency and Fluorescent Lights

It can be necessary to consider how a high wattage affects the efficiency of energy use in the home. Generally, the efficiency of higher watt bulb is greater and produces more light than a smaller watt. For this reason it's best to use one fixture with a bright bulb instead of two lamps with dimmer bulbs. When it's time to change an incandescent light bulb there is no need to get the same wattage if a fluorescent bulb will be installed. This is because fluorescent bulbs achieve the same light output at 20 watts as an incandescent does at 75.

Light Bulbs for High Visibility

Choosing light bulbs for a kitchen require a bit of care as a lot of visibility is needed. In general, workspace lighting should be at least 100 watts of incandescent or 25 watts of fluorescent lighting. Workspace lighting may come from either ceiling fixtures or under-cabinet lights. An electrical contractor can properly install both of these fixtures. Aim for at least 100 watts of incandescent or 25 fluorescent lightings watts for every 50 square feet of kitchen space. This ensures the area is brightly light and everything is visible.

Ambient Lighting

To determine the right ambient lighting for a living room or bedroom, a simple formula can be used. First, take the dimensions of the room and multiply to find the square footage. Multiply the square footage by 1.5 to get the total amount of illumination needed. A 12' by 16' room, for example, has a square footage of 192 with 288 watts necessary. For a room this size, select two table lamps with 150 watt bulbs or 8 fixtures with 40 watt bulbs to give off the correct amount of light.

Because choosing the right wattage for a home can be difficult, it can be helpful to consult an electrical contractor to determine how to properly light a room. In general, areas that require high visibility like the kitchen may need light bulbs with a higher light output. Bedrooms and family rooms can get by with lower watts for ambient lighting. Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs give off different amounts of light with the same wattage, making it important to compare light output as well. As any electrical contractor knows, the most important thing is to use the right wattage for any fixture to prevent overheating and the potential for fires.

Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

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Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?
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Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

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Hobbies & Science: Miniature Light Bulb Socket Types

Hobbies & Science: Miniature Light Bulb Socket Types

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Hobbies & Science: Miniature Light Bulb Socket Types
This Video was made for the Visually Impaired.Enable Closed Captions [CC] Electricity, Fuels and Alternative Energy, Light Bulbs.
Hobbies & Science: Miniature Light Bulb Socket Types

Hobbies & Science: Miniature Light Bulb Socket Types

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Hobbies & Science: Miniature Light Bulb Socket Types

Light Bulb Wattage: What Is The Right Wattage?

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History of the Light Bulb

The 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 that resulted in Davy's miner lamp.

In 1802 he first demonstrated the working of the electric arc using 2 wires, one end of which was attached to a narrow thin piece of charcoal and the other to a battery. In 1820, Warner de la Rue used a coil made of platinum in an empty tube, passed an electric current through the coil and produced the first light bulb. Such a bulb was not commercially feasible, as platinum is a very expensive metal.

Research to find the right kind of filament was being worked out by many scientists. However, it was James Prescott Joule who first propounded that electric current when made to pass through a conductor with high resistance yields thermal energy, which can generate light energy or become luminous. The quest began to find the right filament, which was inexpensive, practical, commercially viable, and not too big. In 1840, Joseph Wilson Swan, an English physicist and chemist, developed the first practical working electric light bulb using a carbonized paper filament in partial vacuum. He patented this incandescent lamp in 1860.

However, this bulb produced fairly dim light, was not long-lasting, and had to be close to the power source. In 1874 he demonstrated an improvised version. However, Thomas Eliot made it commercially feasible in 1875 using similar technology. Eliot worked relentlessly to improve the light bulb. In 1880 he introduced a bamboo fiber filament lamp. With the use of a vacuum pump invented by Herman Spiegel he was successful at creating a complete vacuum inside the lamp chamber. The presence of oxygen was known to oxidize the filament and affected the life of the bulb.

The shape of the glass bulb that was used was originally designed by Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans. During this time scientists were working on a new form of electric arc lamp, the discharge lamp, first by using carbon dioxide inside the bulb and later by inserting a noble gas like argon or krypton. This was done to enhance the efficiency of the light bulb.

In 1901, Peter Copper Hewitt invented a lamp of mercury vapor, which emitted a bright bluish-white light. Later, a brighter sodium vapor lamp was invented. In 1903, Willies Whitney introduced a metal coating for the carbon filament to prevent it from getting charred and burned, and in turn blackening the bulb. In 1906 General Electric introduced the tungsten filament, which had a high melting point.

Although Eliot was aware of this metal and its use, there was no machinery to develop it during his time. In 1910 another engineer from General Electric, William David Coolidge, invented a tungsten filament with a longer life. The 1920s saw the invention of frosted light bulbs, which were used for cars and neon lights. In 1930, photographic flash bulbs and fluorescent bulbs were invented. The 1940s saw the invention of soft incandescent light bulbs and the 1950s saw the invention of quartz glass that was later used in halogen bulbs. The 1960s and 1970s paved the way for metal halide lamps, ellipsoid reflectors and mirrors, which were used to produce brighter lamps. In 1990 the Philips company invented a 60,000-hour bulb with magnetic induction, and later it also introduced the full-spectrum light bulb.

In modern times, scientists are working around the clock to develop more-energy efficient, power-saving and environmentally friendly bulbs.

History of the Light Bulb

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A Light Of Your Life - 1950's Light Bulb Educational Documentary

A Light Of Your Life - 1950's Light Bulb Educational Documentary

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A Light Of Your Life - 1950's Light Bulb Educational Documentary
General Electric mix animation and live action to explain the history and uses of the light bulb - including examples from the smallest 'grain of wheat' bulb...
A Light Of Your Life - 1950's Light Bulb Educational Documentary

A Light Of Your Life - 1950's Light Bulb Educational Documentary

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U2-Ultraviolet (Light My Way) lyrics

U2-Ultraviolet (Light My Way) lyrics

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U2-Ultraviolet (Light My Way) lyrics
U2's "Ultraviolet (Light My Way) from their 1991 album "Achtung Baby"
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Dimmer Switches - a Guide to Types accessible and Their Use

The Use of Dimmer Switches

Basically dimmer switches are use to vary the brightness of light bulbs. They are used mainly for incandescant bulbs and halogens, but there will shortly be on the market a compact fluorescent (energy saving) bulb which can be controlled with a dimmer switch, although these bulbs will be relatively expensive. Dimmer switches save energy, in that a bulb dimmed to, say, half power only uses about half the electricity, there being very little consumption in the switch itself. Most cheaper dimmer switches contain a high current variable resistor which is run in series with the bulb. Some more expensive ones dim the bulb electronically, but for normal home use I would recommend the former. Some contain fuses, and if the dimmer switch fails, check if a fuse inside it has blown. This is particularly liable to happen if the bulb blows.

Different Types of Dimmer Switches

The most common is a wall switch, which replaces an ordinary light switch. They are easy to fit. There are 2 terminals on one way switches, and the wires can fit either way round. There are 3 terminals on 2 way switches, usually marked 'C', 'L1', and 'L2'. Just connect the wires on the dimmer switch exactly as they were on the original switch. A 2 way switch can be used as a one way one, leaving either the 'L1' or 'L2' terminal not used. In a 2 way switch system, only one switch is replaced with a dimmer, and this controls the brightness. The other switch just switches the light(s) on or off, the brightness being determined by where the dimmer switch is set.
Pull cord dimmer switches for bathrooms are available. With these, you just keep pulling the cord, until the desired brightness is reached.
In-line dimmer switches for floor and table lamps can be wired into the mains flex. Alternatively, for these lamps, plug-in dimmer swithes are very simple to use. No wiring is involved; the unit plugs into the mains socket, and the lamp plugs into this. Dimming is controlled by a small rotary knob on the plug-in unit.

Considerations When Using a Dimmer Switch

Dimmer switches are rated with maximum and minimum load wattages, say typically 40W to 400W. This means the total bulb wattage that the dimmer switch controls must be within these limits. If using mains halogen bulbs, leave plenty of spare capacity; ideally double the wattage of the bulbs to get the maximum load wattage of the dimmer switch. 12 volt halogen bulbs can give problems with dimmer switches. If you want to use one, make sure the transformer can be used with a dimmer switch and vice versa, otherwise the lights may flicker and there may be an appreciable hum. Your retailer will give you advice on this.
There are commomly two types of dimmer switches - push on/push off and those which click off or on at the end of the knob rotation. The former have the advantage that the previous dimmed setting is maintained the next time it is switched on, but I prefer the latter, as I think they increase bulb life. The bulb is always brought up from zero to full brightness, rather than applying the full voltage to it immediately it is switched on. This more gradual increase is better for the life of the bulb.

Dimming Low Energy Bulbs

These cannot generally be easily dimmed. As has been said above, a compact fluorescent will soon be available which can be used with a dimmer switch, but I think a better option is to buy one which can be dimmed with an ordinary switch. These are already available - see the link below. LED lighting again cannot be easily dimmed at present, but this is generally not very bright, and dimming is usually not needed with these.

Dimmer Switches - a Guide to Types accessible and Their Use

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Dimmer Switches - a Guide to Types accessible and Their Use

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Dimmer Switches - a Guide to Types accessible and Their Use

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GU10 LED Bulbs 3W LED vs 50W Halogen gu10 - High Quality Low Cost

GU10 LED Bulbs 3W LED vs 50W Halogen gu10 - High Quality Low Cost

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GU10 LED Bulbs 3W LED vs 50W Halogen gu10 - High Quality Low Cost
A short video showing a 3W LED bulb and 50W halogen gu10 These are available at: www.leds4less.co.uk http
GU10 LED Bulbs 3W LED vs 50W Halogen gu10 - High Quality Low Cost

GU10 LED Bulbs 3W LED vs 50W Halogen gu10 - High Quality Low Cost

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GU10 LED Bulbs 3W LED vs 50W Halogen gu10 - High Quality Low Cost

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[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb

[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb

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[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb
Prepare for the INSTAPOCALYPSE. Also, believe it or not, this is a completely clean YTP. 'Twas quite was a challenge.
[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb

[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb

[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb

[YTP] Anthony Sullivan's Apocalypse Bulb