The incandescent light bulb is made out of few materials — metal, glass and inert gas , and together they form a light bulb which provides us with light. These three materials combined create a light bulb. But it is done in a certain way, in order to make the bulb to emit light. So really the question should be not what is a light bulb made of, but how is a light bulb made.
First, at the base of the light bulb, there are two metal contacts , which connect to an electrical circuit and allow the light bulb to work.
These metal circuits are attached to two wires , which, in turn, are affixed to a thin metal filament. This filament is located in the middle of the light bulb, held by a glass mount.
All this is navigated in a glass bulb, which is filled with inert gas , most commonly, Argon gas, but other gasses can also be used. These materials combined create a simple chain reaction which provides us with light. When the light bulb is hooked to a power supply, electric current travels from one contact to the other contact , though the wires in the light bulb. Mobile Newsletter banner close.
Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Prev NEXT. Household Appliances. Cite This! Print Citation.
Unfortunately for the incandescent bulb, legislation in many countries, including the US, has mandated phasing it out for more energy-efficient options such as compact fluorescent lamps and LED lamps. There has been much resistance, however, to these policies owing to the low cost of incandescent bulbs, the instant availability of light and concerns of mercury contamination with CFLs.
Here at Bulbs. The many benefits of LED technology are summed up in this video. Skip to content. Account Sign In. Instant Rebates are available to businesses Click to find out about your location. BulbFinder Our easy-to-use BulbFinder will let you find the correct bulb, step by step. Worcester, MA Tel. In , British scientist Warren de la Rue developed an efficiently designed light bulb using a coiled platinum filament in place of copper, but the high cost of platinum kept the bulb from becoming a commercial success.
And in , Englishman William Staite improved the longevity of conventional arc lamps by developing a clockwork mechanism that regulated the movement of the lamps' quick-to-erode carbon rods. But the cost of the batteries used to power Staite's lamps put a damper on the inventor's commercial ventures. In , English chemist Joseph Swan tackled the cost-effectiveness problem of previous inventors and by he had developed a light bulb that used carbonized paper filaments in place of ones made of platinum.
Swan received a patent in the United Kingdom in , and in February he demonstrated a working lamp in a lecture in Newcastle, England, according to the Smithsonian Institution. Like earlier renditions of the light bulb, Swan's filaments were placed in a vacuum tube to minimize their exposure to oxygen , extending their lifespan. Unfortunately for Swan, the vacuum pumps of his day were not efficient as they are now, and while his prototype worked well for a demonstration, it was impractical in actual use.
Edison realized that the problem with Swan's design was the filament. A thin filament with high electrical resistance would make a lamp practical because it would require only a little current to make it glow.
He demonstrated his light bulb in December Swan incorporated the improvement into his light bulbs and founded an electrical lighting company in England. Swan wasn't the only competitor Edison faced. In , Canadian inventors Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans filed a patent for an electric lamp with different-sized carbon rods held between electrodes in a glass cylinder filled with nitrogen. The pair tried, unsuccessfully, to commercialize their lamps but eventually sold their patent to Edison in The company was started with financial contributions from J.
0コメント