Facts about Incandescent Bulbs
Here are some interesting and useful facts about incandescent bulbs:
🔦 Basic Facts
1. Invented By: Thomas Edison is most famously associated with inventing the practical incandescent bulb in 1879, though several inventors contributed to its development.
2. How It Works: Incandescent bulbs produce light by passing an electric current through a filament (usually tungsten), which heats up and glows.
3. Filament Temperature: The filament can reach temperatures of around 2,000 to 3,300°C (3,600 to 6,000°F).
4. Lifespan: Typically lasts 750 to 2,000 hours, much shorter than LEDs or CFLs.
⚡ Efficiency & Energy Use
5. Very Inefficient: About 90-95% of the energy is lost as heat, not light.
6. Luminous Efficacy: Only about 10–17 lumens per watt, compared to over 100 lumens per watt for LEDs.
7. High Heat Output: They get very hot to the touch and can be a fire hazard if placed too close to flammable materials.
💡 Types of Incandescent Bulbs
8. Standard: Used in homes and lamps.
9. Halogen: A more efficient type of incandescent, filled with halogen gas to extend lifespan and improve brightness.
10. Decorative Bulbs: Used for ambiance, like Edison-style bulbs in cafes or vintage settings.
🌍 Environmental & Legal Notes
11. Banned or Phased Out: Many countries (including the US, EU, and others) have restricted or banned the sale of traditional incandescent bulbs in favour of energy-efficient alternatives.
12. Mercury-Free: Unlike CFLs, incandescent bulbs contain no hazardous materials like mercury.
Fun Fact
13. The inside of the bulb is filled with inert gases (like argon or nitrogen) to prevent the filament from oxidizing and burning out too quickly.