An electrical filament is a thread of metal, usually tungsten, which is used to convert electricity into light in incandescent light bulbs (as developed in 1878 by Joseph Wilson Swan, among others), and into heat in vacuum tube devices. This article is about metallic materials. ... For other uses, see Tungsten (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Electricity (disambiguation). ... “Light bulb” redirects here. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... This article needs cleanup. ... Structure of a vacuum tube diode Structure of a vacuum tube triode In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube, or (outside North America) thermionic valve or just valve, is a device used to amplify, switch or modify a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. ...

Filament of a 200 watt incandescent lightbulb highly magnified

The first successful light bulb filaments were made of carbon (from bamboo), later replaced with tungsten. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 567 pixelsFull resolution (887 × 629 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Highly magnified photo of a 200 watt light bulb filament ‹ The template below (PD-self) is being considered for deletion. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 567 pixelsFull resolution (887 × 629 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Highly magnified photo of a 200 watt light bulb filament ‹ The template below (PD-self) is being considered for deletion. ... For other uses, see Carbon (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bamboo (disambiguation). ...

Thomas A. Edison invented the lightbulb.

Explanation

An electrical current travels through the filament and because of the electrical resistance of the filament makes it white-hot and generates light and heat. It is normally in a vacuum or a noble gas or inert gas inside a glass enclosure to stop oxidation. Small amounts of a halogen can be added to facilitate transport of evaporated tungsten atoms back to the filament, resulting in significantly prolonged lifetime when used at higher temperatures, which is exploited in halogen lamps. Electrical filaments are used in hot cathodes of various types of vacuum tubes and electron guns as sources of electrons. In electricity, current is the rate of flow of charges, usually through a metal wire or some other electrical conductor. ... Electrical resistance is a measure of the degree to which an electrical component opposes the passage of current. ... Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Neon, like all noble gases, has a full valence (outermost) electron shell. ... An inert gas is any gas that is not reactive under normal circumstances. ... This article is about the material. ... The most fundamental reactions in chemistry are the redox processes. ... This article is about the chemical series. ... The incandescent light bulb uses a glowing wire filament heated to white-hot by electrical resistance, to generate light (a process known as thermal radiation). ... Hot cathode is also a name for a hot filament ionization gauge, a vacuum measuring device. ... Structure of a vacuum tube diode Structure of a vacuum tube triode In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube, or (outside North America) thermionic valve or just valve, is a device used to amplify, switch or modify a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. ... Electron gun from a cathode ray tube An electron gun is a component that produces an electron stream that has a precise kinetic energy, being used in all TVs and monitors which use cathode ray tube technology, and in other instruments, eg. ... For other uses, see Electron (disambiguation). ...

Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb.

Types of filament

There are several different types of filament configuration available and it all depends on the lamp itself, and what characteristics are required. Some of these include but are not limited to C-6, CC-6, C-2V, CC-2V, C-8, CC-88, C-2F, CC-2F, C-Bar, C-Bar-6, C-8I, C-2R, CC-2R, Axial.

External links

• An brief article explaing the light bulb - "The Composition of the Light Bulb"
• The history of the light bulb