Incandescent light bulb

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/incandescent-light-bulb

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary inventor?Thomas Edison and his research team
2. What is the year of public demonstration?1879
3. What makes a light bulb light up?When electricity flows through the thin tungsten wire inside the bulb, the wire gets very hot and starts to glow, giving off light.
4. Why is tungsten used for the filament?Tungsten is very strong and can stay hot without melting, so it can glow for a long time without burning away.

Incandescence: The emission of visible light by a substance heated to a high temperature, as in a filament.
Joule Heating: The process where the passage of an electric current through a conductor produces heat.
Tungsten Filament: A thin wire made of tungsten, chosen for its high melting point and light-emitting properties when heated.
Inert Gas: A type of gas, like argon or nitrogen, that does not readily react chemically, used to protect the filament.