Most people forget that at night, the light they enjoy is made possible by the invention of the light bulb. I thought, for our first lesson in how stuff works, we could analyze something relatively simple, but very important in our everyday lives.
Most people know that a light bulb requires power to function, and as a result, it outputs light and a little bit of heat. However, a significant portion of people do not know how this power is converted into light and heat, so today, we will discuss the mechanisms which make the light bulb work.
In a light bulb, there is a very thin wire usually made out of tungsten which is called the filament. When electrical current is passed through this filament, resistance is created. In our house, the wires connecting electrical appliances are relatively thick so the electricity can pass through them easily. When this current passes through the thin filament the electricity is forced through a small, thin path. Think of a crowd of people trying to fit through a small door all at once. This is called Resistance which causes the filament to burn.
In the light bulb, there is no gas, this is called a vacuum. This vacuum prevents the filament from oxidizing or destroying itself when electrical current is passed through it. This in turn keeps the filament white hot, which provides the light we use every night.
We have all had experiences with hot light bulbs, usually ending up in discomfort or burns. This heat can be thought of as inefficiency. When turning on a light bulb, we only want to light our house, not heat it, so this heat is a loss of energy and is inefficient. Currently, light emitting diodes, or LEDs, which are a type of light, put off very little heat and can be very bright for the amount of current passed through them. These are thought of as highly efficient lights and are being used in more and more applications.
For more information on light bulbs, check out:
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