[YT2095]

as in time honored tradition, and to accompany such challenges as the: http://www.sciencefo...read.php?t=2863 and: http://www.sciencefo...read.php?t=3907

Now it`s time turn your thinking towards Lightbulbs! :)

The Challenge is make your own Light bulb, it must be powerful enough to read by in a totally dark room, and be powered Electrically (so No flasks of Luminol, or Isotopes or Magnesium Flares!).
it must last (giving off book readable light), for a Min of 10 minutes also.

you can use whatever Voltage/Current you like AC or DC.

Obviously the Less Power and Brighter the Light for that power the Better!:-)

Picture (as always) appreciated, along with a write-up detailing the proceedure and results.

Best of Luck to all Participants!;)


and keep it SAFE!!!

[YT2095]

my 1`st attempt: http://myweb.tiscali.../lightbulb1.jpg
don`t get too worried, it only lasted 40 seconds before it went Plasma :(

[insane_alien]

see if you make a bulb that might just happen to give off a dangerous amount of UV that you wouldn't want to be around for 10 minutes(without some protection) would it still be acceptable?

[YT2095]

sure :)

[insane_alien]

righto. now i've just got to stop it getting vapourised in 20 seconds

[richard]

I tried to make a bulb using petroleum jelly to exclude air. I placed the electrodes with filament into a glass tube. I filled the center with jelly and the ends with house hold wall filler. I preheated the filament to displace some of the jelly as gas through the ends of the tube where theres a weak seal between filler and electrodes. This was to avoid huge pressure at the start of the first test run. I then placed the tube in a glass bulb filled with CO2 just in case ;) . The bulb worked and I could read by it just, in total darkness. This dosen't show on a camera so I decided to blast it so I could take a pic. :-) http://www.sciencefo...=1&d=1173294564
It only lasted about four minutes total. The filament tube ended up like this http://www.sciencefo...=1&d=1173294564 :embarass:

[YT2095]

Try number 2:

http://myweb.tiscali.../bulb2setup.jpg
http://myweb.tiscali...nts/bulb2on.jpg

and so far it`s been lit (as I`m working to Burnout) for 3 hours 22 mins
operating at; 1.23A @ 13.19VDC

EDIT: 18 hours 2 mins so far!

EDIT2: it`s been on now nearly 25 hours, I can`t see it failing anytime soon, so I`m calling it Quits as a trial, it`s evidently out performed my expectations and requirements outlined in the Original Post.

so that`s Certainly ONE success thus far, let`s keep stacking them up :)

[grifter]

you always seem to win your own challenges, is this because your just too good at experimental science

[Sisyphus]

I hereby propose a YT lookalike contest.

[Genecks]

Why not build it like Edison did? Why not use something like a sodium vapor lamp? I don't understand the point of this challenge.

[YT2095]

the point is to make a lightbulb as outlined in post #1

[insane_alien]

okay, i've came to the conclusion that trying to make an arc lamp in your mums casserole dish is a lost cause. on the plus side, it does seem to have loosened some of the burnt on poiso... food stuck to it.

[Rocket Man]

i made an attempt at this one, edison inspired, it was an evacuated glass chamber with a filament (0.7mm pacer graphite)

i made the evacuated chamber out of a jam jar and check valves from an aquarium retailer, it could go down to 10KPa.(drew air out of a continer and let water flow back into it on relief to check that.)

the graphite was suspended by thick copper wire passed through the lid of the jam jar and connected to 16V 3A AC.

the graphite glowed yellow and you could easily read by it but you could feel the heat coming off it... which lead to some hot glue melting and admitting air into the chamber, making the graphite smoke, arc, thin out and eventually break.

i may have gotten 30 seconds of light out of it but it's hardly a winning formula.

[YT2095]

wow, Nice try tho!

got any pics?

[Rocket Man]

i set the thing up again to get the shots but i remembered that the first few tests were done with insulated hook up wire. this is with thick copper so the hot glue melts after barely seconds

i'm having trouble uploading the images, any suggestions?

[BlondeEngineer]

Actually, just make a normal light bulb... Tungsten filament wire can be bought. Make lightbulb is the challenge NOT components... Plenty of old bulbs can be found at antique stores... The only challenge is vaccuuming this bad boy then adding argon or some other noble gas...

OR... one can try the organic way.... Get a circular tank and add to it wood shavings, torn up/shredded paper and a pecular little mushroom from the Armillaria genus (honey mushroom is actually edible). Put mirrors in background and add other light concentrating devices and ET VOILA!!! A very green way (pun intended due to luminescence) for one to "light up."

I may even try this one... If I could find room between all my books.... Hey! There's another use! Book destruction w/o adding to a landfill... Meh! Can't sac my friends... But it could be a great way to get rid of unwanted mail (aka bills.)