100 Watt Light Bulbs

The incandescent light bulb was one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. The traditional incandescent light bulb works by superheating a lightweight filament in a process known as incandescence or heat driven light. These light bulbs (including 100 wat light bulbs) come in many shapes and sizes that can be used for many different applications from overhead light fixtures to refrigerator lights, to heat animal enclosures, and to aid in the drying of industrial processes. Though in colder climates, the use of incandescent bulbs can help in two ways, by providing light and heat, in warmer climates this trait is not necessarily desired.

Light Bulb History

Though it is generally accepted that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, there are 22 documented inventors prior to him. Edison’s, however, was generally accepted as the best and most efficient design, giving him the credit for the invention. Improvements on the original design continued throughout history. Artificial light caught on quickly, with an estimated 300,000 artificial light providers (lamps) being in use, increasing to over 795 million by 1945.

Construction of Light Bulbs

The modern incandescent light bulb in constructed from a few basic materials. The globe is made of lightweight glass. This globe houses the main structure, a fine filament of tungsten coiled between two contact wires. These contact wires are connected to the base, which seals the bulb, holding in the inert gas.

The overall construction of these light bulbs include all of the following material:

• Globe
• Low Pressure Inert Gas (such as Argon)
• Filament (Usually Tungsten)
• Contact Wire (from stem)
• Contact Wire (to stem)
• Support Wires (to hold the filament in place)
• Stem
• Cap (the metal contact that seals the globe)
• Electrical Contact (the point of the cap that will receive the current from the fixture)

When an electrical current is run through the set up, the filament begins to heat up rapidly, causing the filament to glow and emit heat. The actual temperature of the filament has been measures between 3100 and 5000 degrees F, which is well below the melting point of the tungsten used, making tungsten the ideal material for filament use.

Previous to the introduction of tungsten, carbon in the form of carbonized paper or bamboo. These earlier filaments were extremely susceptible to fluctuations in electricity and would cause early burn out due to overheating.

Uses of 100 Watt Light Bulb

A 100-watt light bulb is generally used in room light fixtures such as lamps and overhead fixtures. This is due to the fact that they release a larger amount of usable, visible light than their lower wattage counterparts. 100-watt light bulbs are also used in photography by powering floodlights. 100 watt light bulbs have also been used to power outdoor floodlights, however, they are generally considered too bright to be used for garden lighting.

Incandescent Bulb Failure

Incandescent bulbs fail when the filament evaporates. This is caused by the repeated exposure to the high temperatures of the electrical currents being passed through them. The diameter of the filament has a direct effect on the longevity of the light bulb. A 1% thinner diameter of the filament will cause the bulb to burn out 25% faster. If the filament develops “hot spots” those areas will evaporate faster than other areas of the filament, increasing the amount of energy required to push the electrons across that space, thus increasing resistance. This causes the hot spot to draw more energy and continue to heat, ultimately causing the total evaporation of the filament in that spot and bulb failure.

Filling the bulb with inert gas slows down the rate of evaporation and extends the life of the light bulb. Most often, argon is used, however, krypton, nitrogen and xenon have all been used successfully.

When a filament evaporates and failure occurs, the bulb can cause an arc. To prevent fire, extremely thin lead-in wires are used to create a fuse. The lead in wires will fail before allowing the arcing to occur.

Irregularities on the surface of the filament can also cause shortening of the bulb’s life. This is also due to increased resistance and the creation of hot spots.

100 Watt LED Alternatives

Incandescent light bulbs, by nature, are not extremely energy efficient as the majority of energy released by the bulb is in the form of heat and not visible light. Alternative artificial light bulbs have been designed to overcome this flaw. Halogen lights, fluorescent lights and LED technology have all been introduced as a way to provide the maximum amount of usable light with the smallest amount of energy consumption. These light bulbs utilize methods more efficient than heat to create visible light, though the production of these types of bulbs have so far been unable to match the cost and simplicity of the incandescent bulb, making the incandescent bulb a staple for most America households for years to come.