Industrial Revolution Project - Light Bulb

Innovation - 1879 Timeline

Since the arc lamp created Davy produced too little light for regular use and was too short-lasting, Thomas Edison worked to evolve it. He used platinum filament and carbonized bamboo.

The Discovery - Multiple Discovery

So I do not have much to say about the term "multiple discovery" except the fact that it was basically how the light bulb we know today has evolved. Multiple discoveries were made by different scientists, but all happened roughly around the same time, the 1800's.

The Discovery - Who invented the light bulb?

Even though Thomas Edison is usually credited with the invention of the light bulb, the famous American inventor wasn't the only one who contributed to the development of this revolutionary technology. Many other notable figures like Humphry Davy and Nikola Tesla are also remembered for their work with electric batteries, lamps, and the creation of the first incandescent bulbs. Here are pictures of Thomas Edison, Humphry Davy, and Nikola Tesla. (point to pictures). Towards the end of the presentation, I also have included a timeline that I will explain in further detail.

Innovation - 1962 Timeline

Nick Holonyak from America created a LED light bulb that operated by a semiconductor alloy laser. This LED light replaced almost all light-sources because of its efficiency.

Innovation - 1803 Timeline

Humphry Davy, from Great Britain, created an electric lamp by using volts from and battery and two charcoal rods. It eventually produced light which was brighter than one thousand candles!

Manufacturing Process - Cost

An incandescent light bulb costs about 50 cents and lasts about 750 hours. If you were to leave a 100-watt bulb burning for 24 hours each day, 365 days per year, it would use 876-kilowatt hours per year. A kilowatt-hour of electricity costs about 15 cents. They are still working to create a more efficient light bulb that lasts longer, but they also want to keep the costs low.

Innovation - 1926 Timeline

Edmund Gerner from Germany created the high-pressure mercury-vapor lamp, or called fluorescent light. He coated the tube of an arc lamp with powder and transformed UV into light.

Innovation - 1893 Timeline

Originally, Nikola Tesla had been working with Edison on the light bulb, but later moved on to his own project of a wireless electric lamp.

Inside the Light Bulb - How does a light bulb work?

To get a light bulb to light up, there must be a flow of electricity. A filament has a lot of resistance to electricity. When electricity is supplied to the positive and negative terminals, the flow of electrons heats up the filament in between. The electrons bang against the filament until it heats up and begins to glow. This is because of the Joule-effect, which means that resistances heat up when an electrical current runs through them.

Inside the Light Bulb - Inside the Light Bulb

So here are the different parts of a light bulb, and I am going to explain how they work. The globe is the glass that insulates the bulb and holds the support wires. The filament is the metal wire that glows brightly when electricity flows through it. The support wires hold up the filament. Inert gases inside the bulb slow down the evaporation of the filament. The base is the metal end of lightbulb inserted into a socket to connect it to the electric circuit. Obviously, there are many more parts of a light bulb, but I just tried to names the ones with key functions.

The Discovery - When and where was the light bulb invented?

So we are going to talk about how Edison invented the light bulb. Edison even had his own team of researchers. They were skilled glass blowers and machine operators. They formed the bulb, attached the wire leads, operated the vacuum pump, and performed other operations. In Edison's laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J; they tested more than 3,000 designs for light bulbs between 1878 and 1880. In November 1879, Edison filed a patent for an electric lamp with a carbon filament.

Innovation - Innovation

So, as I said before, I have included a timeline in this presentation that shows how the lightbulb has evolved and changed over time.

Manufacturing Process - Companies

Some famous companies that manufacture the lightbulb are Phoebe LED, NxtGen, OSRAM, Sylvania, and Crompton Lamps, which is one of the oldest lighting manufacturers, reaching its 140th anniversary in 2018. GE Lighting and Philips are both giants in the industry, raising the bar for what can be accomplished with lighting and leading the way in the development of LED technology. GE is actually a descendant of the General Electric Company founded by Thomas Edison.

Innovation - 1780 Timeline

The design of the oil lamp we are most familiar with today dates back all the way to 1780. This design of the oil lamp was created so that it was safe for people to carry around.

Impact on Society - Impact on Society

The lightbulb is primarily used to light a dark space. It is used to light stores and streets. Since the invention of the light bulb, people could now travel after dark. People now had light at all times of the day, and no longer had to rely on sunlight. The light bulb changed the world by facilitating the creation of large power grids and changing the social and economic structure of society. It also brought electricity and electric appliances into the home.

Manufacturing Process - Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process is mostly automated. There are two factory lines. One prepares the glass bulb. The other prepares the electrical components. These two lines eventually merge. There are several different types of machines involved in the process. Once the bulb is constructed, it goes through a final flash test to ensure that only working bulbs reach packaging.