Electric Potential and Light Bulbs: How Do They Work?

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In summary, when an electric potential difference is applied to two ends of a wire, the electrons in the atoms will jump around and release energy. This energy is absorbed by the electrons in the atoms, raising the temperature of the metal. This heat then emits light.
  • #1
ArielGenesis
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about a year ago i have asked how light bulbs work, the tungsten one. i was satisfied with the answer but not anymore. In brief (to make sure I have a proper understanding): as the electron moves from the higher to the lower end of wire in terms of electric potential, it releases energy. The energy is absorbed by the electrons in the atoms of the wire. The electrons jump when gaining energy and, being unstable, fall back to the original orbit, releasing photon in the process.

My question is now, simply, are the electrons in the power source energized as they have a high volt? volt itself is described as energy/charge. Thus I interpreted the energy to be inform of photon and thus there would be either abundant amount of photon around the electrons in the power source, or just the same number of photons with higher frequency or both or am I simply wrong? Then, is the electical energy and the light is both in the form of photon?

Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
ArielGenesis said:
about a year ago i have asked how light bulbs work, the tungsten one. i was satisfied with the answer but not anymore. In brief (to make sure I have a proper understanding): as the electron moves from the higher to the lower end of wire in terms of electric potential, it releases energy. The energy is absorbed by the electrons in the atoms of the wire. The electrons jump when gaining energy and, being unstable, fall back to the original orbit, releasing photon in the process.

My question is now, simply, are the electrons in the power source energized as they have a high volt? volt itself is described as energy/charge. Thus I interpreted the energy to be inform of photon and thus there would be either abundant amount of photon around the electrons in the power source, or just the same number of photons with higher frequency or both or am I simply wrong? Then, is the electical energy and the light is both in the form of photon?

Thanks in advance.

Who gave you THAT answer?

Let's work our way backwards, shall we?

1. Light is produced by a heated tungsten. So heating this element is the key thing in producing light.

2. So how do you heat it? In this case, it is via electricity, since the element has a high resistance. This is very straightforward.

3. So what you are left with is trying to find a description at the microscopic level, which isn't what you described above. When you apply a potential difference across the ends of a wire, the conduction electron will be agitated and move faster, on average. They will bump into each other and the ions of the metal not only with a high average energy, but also more often.

4. Such collisions will increase the average kinetic energy of the electron gas and the ions. This results in the ions vibrating more, and thus, increases the temperature of the metal.

5. At some point, the vibrational energy is high enough that it will emit light. Since this is a vibration of a large chain of ions in 3-dimensional lattice, the vibrational spectrum is wide and practically continuous. That is why when you look at the light being emitted from a tungsten light bulb through a spectrometer, the spectrum is continuous, unlike light from an atomic gas.

Zz.
 
  • #3
ups... it seems that i had a major misunderstanding. then how to relate this with the concept of photon as light?

What i currently understood is that the photon is emitted by the atoms like in the reverse of photo electric effect. and the photon came from the electron...
 

1. What is electric potential?

Electric potential is the amount of electrical energy that a charged particle has at any given point in an electric field. It is typically measured in volts (V) and is a measure of the work required to move a unit of charge from one point to another.

2. How does a light bulb work?

A light bulb works by using electricity to heat a filament inside the bulb. As the filament heats up, it begins to emit light. The electricity flows through a metal wire, which is usually made of tungsten, and the resistance of the wire causes it to heat up and produce light.

3. What is the difference between AC and DC current?

AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) are two different types of electric current. AC current changes direction periodically, while DC current always flows in the same direction. Most household appliances use AC current, while batteries and electronic devices typically use DC current.

4. How is electric potential related to light bulbs?

Electric potential is directly related to the amount of electricity flowing through a light bulb. As the electric potential increases, so does the amount of current flowing through the filament, causing it to heat up and emit light. The higher the electric potential, the brighter the light bulb will be.

5. What is the difference between incandescent and LED light bulbs?

Incandescent light bulbs use a heated filament to produce light, while LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs use semiconductors to convert electricity into light. This makes LED bulbs more efficient, as they produce less heat and last longer than incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs also come in a wider range of colors and have become increasingly popular in recent years.

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