A round transparent glass that produces light - yes, it is the incandescent bulb that was the wonder in my school days. I even conducted experiments with it by connecting it to a battery cell (1.5v) to get the light from it! Even if a bulb got fused out I never ceased to conduct such experiments on it.
First I tried to make it glow again by making the disrupted filament ends to touch each other. Or, if that attempt failed, I removed the sealing (insulation) on its down side, inspected its spring-like filament and then didn't throw it away to the dust bin; but filled it up with the coloured water to adorn the house! Such an electronic device that had entered into every man's household, has crossed now its birth centenary. It was developed and improved by many scientists like Edison, Swan, Coolidge. Every part of it had undergone much changes; for example, its filament materials ranged from bamboo fibre, carbon to Osmium, Tantalum and stopping with Tungsten. This Tungsten with its melting point of 3330 degree C has withstood test of time.
The content of the inner space of the bulb were also changed much by research: first it was vacuum, next it was the line of inert gases such as Nitrogen, Argon and Krypton. As the technologists have found out now more energy efficient light source devices, the use of incandescent bulb is being stopped. Yes, it is reported that my wonder bulb consumes only 2% of the supplied electricity for lighting and the rest of it is not used by it at all - but wasted as heat! So, this wonder is being displaced by CFLs and LEDs speedily.
I could still feel and hear the wonderful ringing vibrations coming out of my big black stronger wonder bulb which I used to play with by striking it on my head and have such fun too in my childhood!
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