How do incandescant light bulbs work?


Quick Answer

A light bulb glows because of heat that is caused by electricity as it flows through a filament within the bulb. As the wire heat up, it glows as the result of the temperature.

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Full Answer

Thomas Edison created the first working incandescent light bulb in his laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J. During the period between 1878 and 1880, Edison and his team tested 3,000 designs which resulted in Edison filling for a patient in 1879.

Edison´s work is a result of his predecessors´ research. In 1800, Alessandro Volta developed a way to conduct electricity using a copper wire connect to two discs. When electricity was passed through the wire it glowed as a result. Other contributors who used Volta´s research included Humprey Davy, Warren de la Rue and Joseph Swan before the technology of the day made it possible for Edison to create the first working bulb.

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