Measuring Lightbulb Temperature: Spectroscopy and Thermocouples

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To accurately measure the temperature of a lightbulb, two methods are suggested: spectroscopy for the filament and thermocouples for the bulb surface. For the filament, capturing a spectrum and fitting it to the blackbody equation is recommended, with adjustments for the bulb material if possible. For the bulb surface, using a small thermocouple attached with thermally conductive grease is advised, and testing different grease spot sizes can help assess measurement accuracy. It's important to analyze the impact of grease size on readings and adjust calculations accordingly. These methods aim to enhance the precision of temperature measurements as electrical power is increased.
raging_hippo
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What would be the best way to go about measuring the temperature of a Lightbulb? I've been set a task to measure the temperature of a lightbulb as i increase the electrical power supplied to it and i was just wondering what would be the most practical way to do it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated :biggrin:
 
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I've already tried doing it that way but its not really accurate enough. Any other ideas?
 
Do you want the temperature of the filament, or the surface?

For the filament, do it spectroscopically. Take a spectrum and fit it to the blackbody eqation. If possible, make an estimate to correct for the material of the bulb.

For the bulb, use the smallest thermocouple you can find. Contact the thermocouple to the bulb with thermally conductive grease. Make several contacts of varying size to see if the size of the grease spot makes a difference. If it does, try to determine the effect and eliminate it mathematically.

Njorl
 
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