The Light Bulb and How It Works

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The Light Bulb and How It Works

When examining a light bulb, one can describe the light bulb as a

device that provides light when it is switched on from its power

source. It is used when our natural source of light (the sun) happens

to reduce its output. We as humans use it in order to see when it is

dark.

The light bulb works by electricity flowing through the wire causing

it to heat up. The heat makes it glow. It heats up because of

resistance. As electricity passes through an object, the substance it

is passing through tries to hold on to the electrons.It is as the

electrons force through that some of the force present is absorbed and

given off as heat.As the filament heats up, it gives off light.

The electric current which travels through a coiled tungsten wire in

the bulb from the power source can most likely be modelled by a

computer, illustrating how the current is carried in a wire by bumping

electrons off, the atoms or molecules that make up the wire. This

bumping creates energy thus creating heat and furthermore light. A

fundamental problem which one can account for is that fluctuations in

power output result in damage to the light bulb.

As touched upon briefly the power source too can be regarded as a

setback. For instance if there is too much current flowing through the

bulb the filament can burnout and thus damaging the bulb further

making it inoperative. On the other hand however if there is limited

flow of current running through the light bulb, there is very little

light emitted making the light bulb inefficient in places where

maximum light is needed. Another problem is that the filament must be

of a certain thickness in order to compensate with the rate at which

power is being supplied.

The glass shell being free of all oxygen and being sealed at all ends

is vitial, as tungsten if comes in contact with oxygen causes it to

egnite with disasterous concequences.

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