How do high voltage surges affect lightbulbs?

AI Thread Summary
High voltage surges can affect lightbulbs, but they typically do not fail as often as electronic equipment. Bulb brightness increases with higher voltage, and bulbs connected to the output of a step-up transformer are brighter than those at the input. While fictional scenarios may suggest bulbs exploding during a surge, industrial-strength bulbs exist that can withstand significant power fluctuations. Some manufacturers, like Philips, produce 'country-rated' bulbs designed to handle voltage surges and sags. Overall, while surges can impact electrical devices, lightbulbs are generally more resilient.
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The bulb connected to the input of a step-up transformer is less bright than a similar bulb connected to its output. Why?
 
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Because there is more voltage at the output of a step-up transformer than at the input.

Lamp brightness depends on supply voltage. It gets brighter as the voltage increases.
 
I have a question regarding bulb brightness but it is not particularly scientific as it is fictional for a humorous short story I'm writing. The main character is fooling around with electricity when I huge power surge spike runs into his lab wiring. Would that explode the light bulbs or is there some kind of bulb, industrial strength, whatever, that could withstand a gigantic power surge spike and getting blinding bright for a second or so?

Thanx for your help. :)
 
funops,

You better start a new thread.

I have seen a lot of times electronics equipment failiures attributed to high voltage surges by the vendor. I have never heared a bulb or light becoming victim of that surge.
 
mabs239 said:
funops,

You better start a new thread.

I have seen a lot of times electronics equipment failiures attributed to high voltage surges by the vendor. I have never heared a bulb or light becoming victim of that surge.

I've seen 'country-rated' lightbulbs (manufactured by Philips, so I assume it's legit) that indicated they'd withstand the surges and sags seen after kilometers of transmission lines. However as a city-slicker, I have no idea of how serious of an issue this actually is.
 
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