The History, Construction and Uses of the Common Light Bulb

An incandescent light bulb is a source of light powered by electricity. It works by incandescence, which is the principle of emission of light by any substance when it is heated. The light bulb is one of the most well recognized symbols of the post-industrial society. Evenings and nights before the invention of the incandescent light bulb were dark and forbidding. They were bleakly lighted by candles, and that too only by those who could afford them.

Construction

Incandescent light bulbs consist of a glass bulb that encases a filament of tungsten, a metal suited for this purpose. The filament is mounted on a stem which itself is anchored to the base of the bulb. The bulb is made air-tight and is filled with an inert gas like Argon.

The tungsten filament gets heated up to temperatures of 2000-3000 degree Kelvin whenever an electric current is passed through it. This causes the generation of light on its surface, which continues as long as the bulb is supplied with the current. Along with light, the bulb also generates wasteful heat. This makes the glass casing and the base of the bulb quite hot. As a result, you should always take due precaution when handling light bulbs when they are switched on.

History and development

The development of the light bulb has had a long history, and took place over time spanning decades. One of the first advances was made by Humphrey Davy who, in 1802, succeeded in making light emanate out of a thin strip of platinum upon passing electric current through it. After that, a number of advances were made by innovators across many countries. The most prominent among the innovators was Thomas Alva Edison - who perfected a version that came to be known as the progenitor of the modern light bulb. For this, Edison is widely regarded as the inventor of the incandescent light bulb.

Uses

The light bulb has been one of the most indispensible pieces of modern equipment all through its century-old history. And it still is. It is used to light homes and offices, street lights, kitchens, lawns and is used in dimmed lighting of the movie theaters. There are alternative sources of artificial light available, like the fluorescent lamp, but the light bulb is still one of the preeminent products that define the modern age.