I Thought I Had An Idea

Q: dear 100 board
i apologize for my absence, but i need an answer and i know of only one place to get the truth..... ok board a light bulb burns out, are we still using energy if the light switch is on even though our bulb has seen its last?... i appreciate your time oh wise 100!!

Pat

A: Oh Pat. Your absence is unexcused. The 100 Hour Board is aware of your departure and responsible for your light bulbs burning out.
The answer is yes and no. Or rather my favorite answer ever...it depends! Depends on what?
It depends on what kind of light bulb you have.

Light Bulb 101:

Light bulb technology is pretty intricate, cool and yet simple at the same time. Makes you respect Mr. Edison more.

Incandescent bulbs (old technology) work by sending a electrical current through a resistor, in this case thin tungsten coil filaments, that resist the flow of electricity and convert it into heat and some light. Only about 10% is visible which is why they are so inefficient. Normally the tungsten would catch on fire, so they fill the light bulb with argon or nitrogen. Over time the tungsten atoms fly off because the filament gets really hot - 4000 degrees! Like evaporation off water. The argon helps keep this from happening.

But over time, because of the tungsten leaving, and the constant on and off, rapid heating and cooling, the filament gets brittle and breaks. And your bulb burns out. Now an incandescent bulb can also fail because of vibration (filament breaks loose), glass breaking (argon leaves and filament catches fire), or the connection to the bulb and fixture is bad (that solder piece is deformed or the copper spring contact bends in - stemming from over tightening bulbs).

No matter which way it burns out, with incandescent bulbs, no electricity is flowing. The electrical circuit is broken. Like cutting your cord to the lamp. Which is why they are safe to leave in - no electric shocks from probing fingers.

BURNED OUT INCANDESCENT BULB = NO POWER

But fluorescent bulbs use a different principle to operate. A tube of argon coated in phosphor powder, is also filled with a little mercury. Electrodes at either end flow electrons through the plasma in the on tube and this causes gaseous mercury to release electrons and light. Although it releases ultraviolet light. The phosphor powder absorbs the UV and releases white light (or other colors depending on the powder). (I recommend looking at this page at How Stuff Works.)

These lights require a starting mechanism - usually what they call a ballast - that stores and releases energy at start-up. "Burning out" for fluorescent bulbs are less defined if they are not catastrophic (glass breaking) but can include issues with the electrodes, ballasts and leaks.

When fluorescent bulbs burn out it is possible to have electricity flowing through the tube but not igniting the mercury electron release. Also you can be sending electricity to the ballast all the time the switch is on. It could be a slow leak or even more to the ballast.

BURNED OUT FLUORESCENT BULB = SOME POWER

So not only do you need to worry about mercury spills and the EPA with a broken flourescent bulb, you need to worry about stray current! Oh my!
Hope that gives you some answers - or ideas to swallow for that matter:

100 HB
(Top photo courtesy of Josh Madison)

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Dirty Power Done Cheep

Q: Dear 100hrb

Why and how is European electricy different than US?

Regards,

Frazzled Expatriot

A: Dear Electric Slide Fanatic:

So you’re in Europe stuck on the highway to hell with no outlet to charge your iPod? Maybe Angus or Malcolm Young can help you out. Their “High Voltage” music can spark the energy into anyone, including that maniac Bon Scott. And that is where AC/DC come from. Alternating assaults of the Young brother’s guitars and the direct hard-living, hard-loving, hard-playing wild-eyed rabble-rousing singer, Bon Scott. Electricity can flow continuously in one direction (direct current, DC) or it can be reversed on a regular basis (alternating current, AC).

Just remind your self that AC is the schoolboy-in-knickers, Angus Young. Respectable and American (well not quite but use your imagination).

DC is your half dressed wild-eyed Scotsman Bon Scott. Euro trash.

Easy to understand the difference now? Good. Now let’s see if we can distinguish why you can’t plug that iPod in. Converting European electricity so that it can be used in your American appliances is a significant nuisance but it can be done.

Lighting it up in America
Your local utility company provides your household in the United States with 110 to 120 volts (force of electricity) and 60 Hz (frequency per second that the AC current reverses direction). This considered safer. It is lower voltage with a higher frequency of hertz. But America took it a step further and backed up fuses that are prone to being blown out with circuit breakers. A circuit breaker switch automatically opens when too much power is being used. When the switch opens the flow of electricity is shut of. Thus your 1,000 watt hair dryer may only shut off while using it. When the cause of the excessive power is resolved the circuit breaker will reset. Thus you can turn that hair dryer back on until the circuit breaker turns it off again.

Exploding in Europe
Europeans who are so tired of Americans being better at everything have decided that they will show America up when it comes to voltage. Electricity in Europe is supplied at 230 volts and 50 Hz. This means more power with less alternating currents. Danger Will Robinson! So it only makes sense that when you decide to use that 1,000 watt (electrical power used) hair dryer the lights will start to flicker and if not shut off it will blow a fuse. After all you are driving a lot of energy toward that one appliance with high voltage and low hertz. To top it off there are no circuit breakers within the electrical infrastructure in Europe. That means your hair dryer will fry or worse you will get electrocuted prior to you even knowing that you were using excessive power. But Europe hopes to combat these dangers with what you ask…well heaven forbid they use circuit breakers…no they want to build more, smaller grids to serve communities and shut down when excessive power exists. In truth it is like a circuit breaker just for the community not in your house. To read more go to http://www.smartgrids.eu/documents/vision.pdf-.

That is the difference- so get a 50 watt transformer for low wattage devices (iPod) and a small converter for high power appliances (television). Finally, don’t even bother hooking up an American electric clock in Europe. Generally, these clocks run on AC motors and will run at 5/6 the speed since the speed is determined by electric frequency. In other words if you set an American clock up in Europe and set it to 6 PM when you go check it in the morning it may read 4 AM when in actuality it is 6 AM.

For those about to rock we solute you, keep a stiff upper lip and continue those dirty deeds. Other wise if you want to know the power of electricity...go fly a kite!

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