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Please Click this Link for more information on Edison Light Bulb:
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Unless you live in the Hurricane Belt or Tornado Alley of the United States and have experienced
lengthy periods without electricity, chances are you've been taking the luxury of artificial lighting for
granted.
The electric light bulb seems to be a boring subject of conversation for most people, but without its
invention, a lot of the things which make our life fun and exciting would not exist today. The
concept of a central electrical power plant as well as power cables, generators, switches, sockets
and wiring came about as there has been a need for a source of power to illuminate the early
versions of electric lighting.
Most of modern day music, cinema, video games, the internet and countless other things that
entertain and give us comfort today would not be around without electrical power. As such, we
owe the lowly light bulb and the brilliant minds that helped pave the way for its development a bit
more appreciation.
Thomas Alva Edison, the "Wizard of Menlo Park", is credited by the general public to be the father
of the modern-day electric light bulb as we know it, but he is far from being the only one
responsible for its research, development and production. Englishmen Sir Humphrey Davey and
Joseph Wilson Swan, Canadians Henry Woodward and Matt Evans as well as several other
brilliant scientists and researchers all contributed to the emergence of the modern day tungsten-
based electric light bulb.
The first forms of artificial electrically-powered illumination were known as 'arc lamps' which
needed significant amounts of electrical currents to stay operational. These arc lamps were
excessively bright and thus were an impractical way to illuminate individual average-sized rooms.
Gas-powered lamps were the accepted norm during the late 1870s when the earliest attempts at
incandescent lighting first surfaced. Incandescent lighting is the process of running an electrical
current through a thin strip of resistant material, making it hot enough to glow and give off light
without catching on fire from the excessive heat. Scientists eventually discovered that
encapsulating the filament in a vacuum did away with oxygen-fueled ignition and this is how
incandescent light bulbs are made today.
Platinum was the first metal that showed potential in producing light, bright enough to be used
effectively as a filament. Sir Humphrey Davy and Edison himself both attempted to harness this
potential but due to its high value, platinum didn't really become a practical choice for mass-
produced electrical light bulbs.
In his quest for a viable medium for illumination in incandescent light bulbs, Edison tested

2. numerous carbonized plant fibers- hickory, cedar, flax, boxwood, bamboo, even arranging the
shipment of plant material from the far-off tropics. "Before I got through," says The Wizard from
New Jersey in an interview, "I tested no fewer than 6,000 vegetable growths, and ransacked the
world for the most suitable filament material."
The first generation of incandescent light bulbs that were deemed practical enough for widespread
use had carbon-based filaments but these thinned-out too fast and blackened the insides of the
bulbs thus reducing illumination. It was the General Electric Company, itself a product of the
merging of Edison's companies and the Thomas-Houston Electric Company, that found a low-cost
way to manufacture tungsten filaments and got the first patent for the modern-day incandescent
light bulb. Tungsten filaments burn out longer and glow brighter than the carbon ones that
preceded it.
From the incandescent light bulb the more cost-efficient fluorescent lighting and longer-lasting
halogen lights were developed. Today these find uses in several fields of society from live
entertainment, photography, medicine, industrial and home applications. Without low-wattage
lighting, which has been made possible by the invention of the electrical light bulb, our working
hours would be shorter and hence production would slow down by the time the sun sets.
Jo is a writer for 'Litelec' (http://www.litelec.co.uk), a UK company that specializes in the supply of
electric light bulbs, light fixtures, electrical accessories and associated products for home and
business purposes which they trade at especially reasonable prices. If you want to lower your
electricity charges and at the same time contribute a vital role to the protection of the ecosystem
then begin by using G10 bulbs at home and if you have other electrical products and accessories
requirement then take a look at Litelec.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jo_Alelsto
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Please Click this Link for more information on Edison Light Bulb:
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