Light Bulb

Invented by : Thomas Alva Edison

Invented in year : 1879

Light Bulb or Incandescent Light Bulb is one of the most famous inventions of Thomas Alva Edison. In 1878 he began serious research into developing a practical incandescent lamp. After many experiments with platinum and other metal filaments, Edison used a carbon filament. On October 22, 1879 Edison conducted his first successful test on the Light Bulb which lasted 13.5 hours. By Nov 4, 1879, he filed for a U.S. patent (granted as U.S. Patent 0,223,898) while still improving the bulb design. Several months after the patent was granted Edison and his team discovered that a carbonized bamboo filament could last over 1200 hours.

In Britain, the Edison and Swan companies merged into the Edison and Swan United Electric Company and in1881, the Savoy Theatre became the first public building in the world to be lit entirely by electric lights. From there onwards various changes in design and shape were made by different companies to bring efficiency.

Role of Light Bulb in the Improvement of human life

• Before the invention of the Light Bulb, light was produced through different means like torches, candles, oil and gas lamps. These posed danger as an open flame, when used indoors posed a danger of fire. Also these sources of light provided insufficient illumination. With the commercialization of the Light Bulb people were able to use a better source of illumination.

• These were used for household and commercial lighting.

• Provided portable lighting such as table lamps, car headlamps and electric flashlights.

• Used in decorative and advertising lighting.

• Certain industries use incandescent bulb to generate heat such as incubators, brooding boxes for poultry, heat lights for reptile tanks, infrared heating for industrial heating and drying processes and the certain ovens.

• In cold weather it contributes to building heating from the heat shed by incandescent lamps