subject: It's Amazing To Think About How Much Light Bulbs Have Come Over History [print this page] It may not seem very unusual or significant now, but at one time it was the invention to be talked about. Like other inventions, it has continued to improve by leaps and bounds with research, and now with clean energy being the issue even more so. It may not be the invention on the forefront of our minds today, but we do not want to be without it, there are often reserves of them in closets just to be sure that we will not. Read on and discover the changes in light bulbs.
The development of an effective bulb was the beginning of a race against time for several people. Historians Israel and Friedel reported that twenty-two developers were actually involved in its making prior to Thomas Edison. Another Historian; Robert Hughes believes that even though it was not actually his own invention, Edison received credit for its invention due to the fact that he created the electric lighting system.
The Edison version of the bulb was much better than the others for three reasons which included, the material that was being used to actually emit the light (incandescent material), a higher vacuum by use of a pump, and high electrical resistance which made it economical. He filed for the United States patent of an improved version in 1879. This version was able to last for up to forty hours.
Bulbs are also called lamps. They have greatly improved over time and there are many differently types available. The incandescent bulb operation is such, that its current passes through the filament; material used to emit light, and then when it is heated; light. The newer versions of the lamp or bulb are much more energy efficient than the original incandescent.
Fluorescent light is one example of a bulb that operates in a completely different way. It uses the process of fluorescence which states that light is emitted due to a substance absorbing it through electromagnetic radiation of another wavelength. The materials used in fluorescent lighting are small amounts of mercury inside the glass tube which creates the vacuum. The tube is coated with phosphor (fluorescent material) which emits the light. The new compact fluorescent have become one of the most commonly used replacement bulbs for the incandescent as far as energy efficiency.
Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps are another form of more economical lighting. These bulbs have also been used to replace the incandescent. The LED is a little more efficient in power than the fluorescent. An LED lamp using light emitting diodes as its source for light. The light output for each diode is small, and that is why it is necessary for there to be several grouped together for a larger emission. Heat management is build in with the LED bulbs to prevent their being damaged by becoming too hot.
No matter who actually receives the credit for the invention of the bulb, it is certainly one that we do not want to be without. The inventors of its many improvements in the past several years seem to go unnoticed as well. Let us all remember to give a big science a big thank you, especially for the bulb that lights our homes, whatever kind we prefer.
