Fire and Light Bulbs
Date: Tuesday, May 25 @ 10:43:53 EDT
Topic: Food For Thought
The most ancient of discoveries and the epitome of invention, fire and light bulbs both provide light by the same process: incandescence. In fire, from forest fires to Bunsen burners, chemical reactions release heat, releasing gases and raising materials to high temperatures, where the gases and materials incandesce.
Light bulbs also produce light through incandescence, but they use electricity to produce the heat. Inside a light bulb, as in space heaters, electrical current runs through a thin wire and heats the wire to a high temperature, causing the wire to incandesce. Brighter (and whiter) light requires higher temperatures, which in turn require more electricity. Compact fluorescent bulbs run 90% cooler than incandescent bulbs which will reduce fire hazards and risks to children and pets.
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