Wiktor Wise
Lamps are devices that produce light, originally consisting of a wick soaked in combustible material, and later using gas or electricity. Electric lamps are the most common form of artificial lighting, with the first electric battery being created in 1799–1800 by Alessandro Volta. Electric lamps work by using electricity to heat a filament to a white-hot state, causing incandescence, or by using a gas subjected to an electrical discharge, causing electroluminescence. The three main categories of electric lamps are incandescent lamps, gas-discharge lamps, and LED lamps.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A lamp is a device for producing illumination |
| History | The lamp was invented at least as early as 70,000 BCE. |
| Early Composition | A hollowed-out rock filled with moss or other absorbent material that was soaked with animal fat and ignited. |
| Modern Composition | Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic. |
| Modern Functionality | The electrical connection to the socket may be made with a screw-thread base, two metal pins, two metal caps, or a bayonet mount. |
| Lamp Types | Incandescent lamps, gas-discharge lamps, and LED lamps. |
| Lamp Inefficiency | Incandescent bulbs are highly inefficient, with just 2–5% of the energy consumed emitted as visible, usable light. |
| Socket | The electrical device that makes contact with the base of a lamp in electrical equipment. |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Lamps are electrical devices that produce light
The three main categories of electric lights are incandescent lamps, gas-discharge lamps, and LED lamps. Incandescent lamps produce light by heating a filament to a white-hot state using an electric current. This process is called incandescence. Incandescent bulbs are highly inefficient, with only 2-5% of the energy consumed emitted as visible, usable light. The remaining 95% is lost as heat. Due to their low energy efficiency, incandescent bulbs are being phased out in favour of more efficient technologies like CFLs and LED bulbs.
Gas-discharge lamps, such as fluorescent lamps, produce light by means of an electric arc through a gas. In fluorescent tubes, an electrical discharge causes electrons to collide with ions of mercury vapour, resulting in ultraviolet radiation. The fluorescent material covering the inside of the tubes then transforms this radiation into visible light. Gas-discharge lamps dissipate less heat and have a longer service life than incandescent lamps.
LED lamps, which first became practical in 1962, produce light by a flow of electrons across a band gap in a semiconductor. LED bulbs are more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs and do not suffer from the same heat dissipation issues.
Before the advent of electric lighting in the early 20th century, lamps used other light-producing instruments such as wicks soaked in combustible materials, candles, gas, and oil. The earliest lamps date back to at least 70,000 BCE and consisted of hollowed-out rocks filled with moss or other absorbent materials soaked in animal fat and ignited.
Electricity and Magnetism: Two Sides of the Same Coin
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Incandescent lamps and their inefficiency
A lamp is a device that produces illumination. The incandescent lamp, invented around 1870, is a type of electric lamp that uses a heated filament to emit light. Incandescent lamps are commonly used for general lighting in households.
However, incandescent lamps are highly inefficient. Only 2-5% of the energy consumed by these lamps is emitted as visible, usable light, with the remaining 95% lost as heat. This heat contributes to the warming of buildings, which can be beneficial in colder climates but becomes a problem in warmer regions, as the excess heat then needs to be removed through ventilation or air conditioning.
The inefficiency of incandescent lamps has led to their gradual phase-out, with governments implementing regulations to encourage the adoption of more energy-efficient alternatives. For example, the EU agreed to a progressive phase-out of incandescent light bulbs by 2012, and the US stopped selling incandescent bulbs as of August 1, 2023, due to their failure to meet minimum energy performance standards.
The main alternatives to incandescent lamps are compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. CFLs are more energy-efficient and can be inserted into the same fixtures as incandescent lamps, but they contain mercury, a hazardous substance that can be released if the bulb breaks. LEDs, on the other hand, are even more efficient than CFLs, often more compact, and environmentally friendly as they do not contain mercury. They also perform better in cold temperatures and have a faster startup time. However, the initial higher cost of these alternative lamps may be a barrier for some consumers.
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing an Electric Nail File
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Fluorescent lamps and their mercury vapour
A lamp is a device that produces illumination. The electric lamp, in particular, is a type of lamp that produces light from electricity. It is the most common form of artificial lighting.
Fluorescent lamps are a type of gas-discharge lamp that produces light by means of an electric arc through a gas. Fluorescent lamps contain mercury vapour or argon under low pressure. The electricity flowing through the tube causes the gases to give off ultraviolet energy.
Mercury is a toxic human and environmental hazard, and its use in fluorescent lamps has raised concerns. Fluorescent lamps contain 0.7–115 mg of mercury per lamp, with the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) subclass containing an average of 3–5 mg per lamp. When a CFL is broken, mercury vapour is released, posing a risk to human health and the environment. In response, various methods have been developed to capture and contain mercury vapour, such as the use of nanomaterials and improved disposal practices.
The use of fluorescent lamps, particularly CFLs, offers significant energy efficiency benefits, with a 75% reduction in energy usage and a tenfold increase in lifetime compared to incandescent bulbs. However, due to the presence of mercury, CFLs have been banned in some places, such as the United States as of August 1, 2023. To address the environmental and health concerns associated with mercury, regulations have been implemented, such as the Products Containing Mercury Regulations in Canada, which prohibit the manufacture and import of mercury-containing products with certain exemptions and strict limits on mercury content. Additionally, the Minamata Convention, a global treaty, addresses the life cycle of mercury and aims to control and reduce its use across industries and products, including lamps.
Overall, fluorescent lamps that utilise mercury vapour provide improved energy efficiency but also present challenges due to the toxic nature of mercury. The development of effective mercury vapour capture methods and responsible disposal practices are crucial to mitigating the potential risks associated with this technology.
Becoming an Electro-Mechanical Technician: Education and Skills Needed
You may want to see also
Explore related products
LED lamps and their electron flow
A lamp is a device that produces illumination. The earliest lamps, invented around 70,000 BCE, were vessels containing a wick soaked in combustible material. Modern electric lamps, which appeared around the early 20th century, are electrical devices that produce light from electricity.
One type of modern electric lamp is the LED lamp, which stands for light-emitting diode. LEDs are semiconductor devices that emit light when current flows through them. The movement of electrons in the semiconductor material causes illumination.
In an LED, electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The colour of the light corresponds to the energy of the photons, which is determined by the energy required for electrons to cross the band gap of the semiconductor. White light is obtained by using multiple semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting phosphor on the semiconductor device.
LEDs have several advantages over traditional incandescent lamps. Firstly, they are more efficient as they use less electricity and do not generate as much heat. Secondly, they have a longer lifespan as they do not have filaments that burn out. Finally, they are more versatile, with applications in lighting, displays, and electronic circuits.
LEDs have become more cost-effective for lighting applications due to the decreasing price of semiconductor devices. They are now widely used in various forms, from small indicator lamps to large illumination arrays, and can be found in many electronic devices, such as phones, cars, and televisions.
Electrical Stimulation: Physical Therapy's Evolution
You may want to see also
Explore related products
History of lamps, from combustible to electric
Lamps are devices that produce illumination, with the earliest lamps dating back to at least 70,000 BCE. These early lamps consisted of hollowed-out rocks filled with moss or other absorbent materials soaked in animal fat and ignited. In the Mediterranean and Middle East, early lamps took on shell shapes, with actual shells being used and sections cut out to provide space for lighting. These were eventually replaced by pottery, alabaster, or metal lamps that imitated the natural shapes of their prototypes. Another basic lamp design, found in ancient Egypt and China, was the saucer lamp, made of pottery or bronze, sometimes with a spike in the centre to support the wick.
Around the 7th century BCE, the Greeks began making terracotta lamps to replace handheld torches. The word 'lamp' is derived from the Greek word 'lampas', meaning torch. In the 18th century, the central burner was invented, a significant improvement in lamp design. The fuel source was enclosed in metal, and an adjustable metal tube controlled the intensity of the fuel burning and light. Small glass chimneys were added to protect the flame and control airflow.
During the Industrial Revolution, gas lighting was discovered and commercialized, marking a major shift in lighting technology. By the mid-19th century, cities across Europe and North America were installing gas lighting systems, extending productivity well into the night. However, the development of electric lighting at the turn of the 19th century began to replace gas lighting. The first electric battery was created by Alessandro Volta in 1799-1800, and Vasily Vladimirovich Petrov developed the first persistent electric arc in 1802. Humphry Davy demonstrated a practical arc light in 1806.
The incandescent electric lamp was invented around the 1870s by Sir Joseph Swann and Thomas Edison, using a carbon wire filament in an evacuated glass bulb. This design prevented the filament from quickly oxidizing away. Edison's lamp became the first commercially successful incandescent lamp, patented in 1880. The final development of the incandescent lamp used metallic filaments, particularly tungsten, which replaced carbon filaments in the early 1900s due to its higher melting point and ability to emit whiter light.
The 20th century saw further advancements, such as Irving Langmuir's electric gas-filled tungsten lamp in 1915 and the development of high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, which offered more energy-efficient solutions. Fluorescent lamps, introduced in the 1930s, became popular during World War II for their energy efficiency. The first practical LED was invented in 1962, revolutionizing lighting technology and offering more sustainable alternatives to incandescent bulbs.
Protect Rimworld Base: Disable Electrical Surges
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
A lamp is a device for producing illumination. The earliest lamps consisted of a hollowed-out rock filled with moss or absorbent material soaked in animal fat and ignited. Modern electric lamps produce light from electricity and are usually made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic.
Electric lamps work by producing light from electricity. The three main categories of electric lights are incandescent lamps, gas-discharge lamps, and LED lamps. Incandescent lamps produce light by heating a filament to a white-hot state using an electric current. Gas-discharge lamps produce light through an electric arc in a gas, such as fluorescent lamps. LED lamps generate light by passing electrons through a semiconductor.
There are various types of electric lamps, including incandescent lamps, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps, and LED lamps. Incandescent lamps use a filament, usually made of tungsten, heated by an electric current to produce light. Fluorescent lamps contain mercury vapour or argon gas under low pressure, which emits ultraviolet energy when electricity flows through the tube. LED lamps, the most energy-efficient option, use a flow of electrons across a band gap in a semiconductor to produce light.
The socket in a lamp is the component that holds the light bulb in place and ensures it connects with the electrical circuit. It is designed to establish a safe and secure electrical connection for the light bulb, allowing it to receive electricity and illuminate.
![PowerCords [ETL Listed] 3Pack Grounded Outlet Switch w/ON/Off, Plug in Single Outlet Adapter Electrical Switches, Inline Power On Off Switch for Lamp/Devices – Cruise Safe, No Surge Protection, White](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61xB3UYoOSL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
