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The first arc lamp, Sir Humphry Davy
The first ever electric lamp was invented by Sir Humphry Davy in 1809. He did this by using a 2000 cell battery to create a 10cm arc between two charcoal sticks. This lamp was not very efficient and due to it consuming lots of energy it was never used outside of experiments but it was crucial in inspiring other inventors -
First successful experiments of a glowing wire in a vacuum tube, Warren de la Rue
The British scientist Warren de la Rue was the first person to be successful in glowing a wire to produce light. The wire was made of platinum due to its high melting point which would allow it to work under high temperatures which would produce a glow. The wire is placed in an evacuated chamber so that there are fewer gasses that can react with the platinum. It worked well but not cost efficient due to the high cost of platinum. -
Better light bulb, Joseph wilson Swan
Joseph Wilson Swan was able to create a better light bulb due to developments in vacuum pumps. The pumps made it possible to use more materials in the lamp because they didn't get affected by the air. He used a treated cotton thread that removed the problem of bulb blackening. -
The first great light bulb, Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison invented the first lightbulb that could be used commercially. The lamp worked using a carbonized bamboo filament which was twisted into a spiral. This is due to its lifetime being over 1000 hours compared to the 10-20 in the earlier iterations and the 2000 hours we find today in incandescent bulbs. The bulb also used the Edison screw which most light bulbs used after this time. -
First working fluorescent lamp, Peter Cooper Hewitt
Peter Cooper Hewitt developed the first fluorescent lamp or so called mercury vapor lamp. The lamp worked by passing an electrical discharge through mercury vapor which made it glow. The lamp was at least eight times brighter than Thomas Edison's invention which made the lamp impractical for lighting homes. It also had an unappealing blue-green light which meant that it only could be used in specific situations leading to it never being used in any major field. -
Robert Biard invented an infra-red LED light in 1961
Rober Biard invented an infra-red LED while working at Texas Instruments. It was microscopic and therefore did not have practical everyday use. Later inventions by Nick holonyak made it possible to create red light from an LED which was an important invention due to earlier having to amplify light from an incandescent bulb to create a laser he could now instantly create a laser. -
Bluetooth, Ericsson
Bluetooth was invented by Ericsson in may of 1989. Bluetooth can connect two different devices without a cable as long as both devices have a Bluetooth module. Bluetooth only works over short distances which makes it perfect for wireless headphones, mice and other things. -
Philips hue light bulbs, Philips
Philips hue light bulbs were created by the Philips company in January of 2012. The products can connect to a mobile device through Zigbee 3.0 or Bluetooth. The light can produce up to 800 lumens of light compared to the 10-20 of early light bulbs but is ofcourse able to be changed. The light uses an array of LED's to create the light as it is the newest lamp and the most efficient.