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An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the socket of a light fixture, which is often called a "lamp" as well. The electrical connection to the socket ...
- Depends on type of light
Nov 22, 2013 · Learn how electric light was invented and improved by various inventors over 150 years. Discover the origins of incandescent, fluorescent and other lighting technologies and their impact on energy use.
- Early research & developments. The story of the light bulb begins long before Edison patented the first commercially successful bulb in 1879. In 1800, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta developed the first practical method of generating electricity, the voltaic pile.
- Joseph Swan vs. Thomas Edison. In 1850, English chemist Joseph Swan tackled the cost-effectiveness problem of previous inventors and by 1860 he had developed a light bulb that used carbonized paper filaments in place of ones made of platinum.
- The first practical incandescent light bulb. Where Edison succeeded and surpassed his competition was in developing a practical and inexpensive light bulb, according to the DOE.
- Tungsten filaments. William David Coolidge, an American physicist with General Electric, improved the company's method of manufacturing tungsten filaments in 1910.
Learn about the properties and types of electromagnetic radiation, including light, and how they interact with matter. Explore the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays, and the concept of photons.
In his formulation of electromagnetism, Maxwell described light as a propagating wave of electric and magnetic fields. More generally, he predicted the existence of electromagnetic radiation: coupled electric and magnetic fields traveling as waves at a speed equal to the known speed of light. In 1888 German physicist Heinrich Hertz succeeded in ...
Learn how Thomas Edison invented the incandescent electric light in 1879 after years of experimenting with different materials and filaments. See a 19th century Edison lamp from the collection of The Franklin Institute.
We have two sets of pages on the 12 types of electric lamps: Full Lighting Pages: Lots of detailed information, timelines, names, etc. Use the motion menu below to choose the light you want to start with. Tour EL: 5 min videos on each light type, followed by a 5 question quiz for each lamp type. Linear tour with test for students.
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