Steem Homework of the Week! Thomas Edison and the Light Bulbs

georgie84 (67)in #steemiteducation • 7 years ago (edited)

A light bulb is a device that produces light from electricity. In addition to lighting a dark space, they can be used to show an electronic device is on, to direct traffic, for heat, and many other purposes.

Thomas Edison invented the first commercially used light bulb, but he wasn't the first to create a light source in a bulb. Though light bulbs are a common thing today, they were once a rarity confined to laboratories and the homes of the wealthy. Light bulbs are used in so many ways-
at work, at home and for your entertainment that you may have stopped noticing that they are there.

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman, who has been described as America's greatest inventor. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb.

Thomas Edison

Early people used candles and oil lamps for light. Crude incandescent lights were made in the early and middle 19th century but had little use. Improved vacuum pumps and better materials made them shine longer and brighter late in the century. Electric power stations brought electricity to urban and later rural areas to power them. Later gas discharge lights, including fluorescent lights, use less electricity to make more light.

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Each light bulb has its pros and cons and certain bulbs work better in different spaces of a home. Take a deeper look at the different light bulbs to see where each should be used.

Types of Light Bulbs

Incandescent is the most commonly used light bulb and usually the least expensive. This type of light has a warm, inviting quality and is very complimentary to skin tones and psychologically appealing. Incandescent bulbs usually last between 700 to 1,000 hours and can be used with a dimmer; however, they're not as energy efficient as other options.

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Halogen bulbs are a variation of incandescent. They give the closest approximation of natural daylight, known as "white light." Colors appear sharper under halogen light and the bulbs can be dimmed.

They're a little more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, but are more expensive and burn at a higher temperature. Most often halogen bulbs are used in under-cabinet lighting, pendant lights and recessed cans.

Remember not to use bare hands when changing the halogen bulb. The smallest residue of oil from a human hand can rub off on the bulb, creating an atmosphere where the bulb warms too quickly when the lamp is turned on, which can cause the bulb to explode.

Halogen light bulbs cast bright light and last twice as long as standard bulbs.

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Fluorescent lighting is a common ceiling lighting choice.

The typical fluorescent gives a flat, cold light, often bluish and harsh. It is a daylight-equivalent and cannot be put on a dimmer. There are many types of fluorescents on the market: warm ones, cool ones and special-colored ones, and they typically produce more light and last longer than incandescent.

Fluorescent bulbs work well to light large areas like basements or attics.

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Compact fluorescent light bulbs are an easy way to adopt energy saving practices in the home.

Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) consume a quarter of the energy that incandescent bulbs do and last 10 times longer. Unlike the old fluorescent lights, CFLs are quiet, instant-on and have warmer, color-corrected tones.

They can be used anywhere you would use a typical incandescent light bulb. CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury, a harmful substance. Although the bulbs contain far less mercury than other household items, care needs to be taken to prevent breakage. Also, when CFLs burn out, they should be recycled.

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LED, which stands for "light-emitting diode," is a lighting technology that is long-lasting and extremely energy-efficient, but they're not ready to supplant all other bulbs yet. For one, they provide only directional light, not diffused light, making them ideal for under-counter task lighting, but not general room illumination. To overcome this, new models consist of large arrays of LEDs clustered together, but at prices from five to six times higher than CFLs, the bulbs are not for everybody.

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