Thomas Alva Edison made significant contributions
to contemporary living by creating the phonograph,
motion picture camera, incandescent light bulb,
and telephone. He obtained an incredible 1,093
patents throughout his 84 years. In addition to
being an inventor, Edison was a successful
manufacturer and businessman who sold his
creations to the general public.
In the process of inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison
encountered several challenges - both towards his invention
and himself as an inventor.
The filament used in light bulbs back then burned out too
quickly. Those who had done the same claimed that it was
simply impossible. Many thought Edison couldn't do it either
because so many of them had failed in their efforts. They
particularly mocked Edison because of his lack of proper
education.
Edison persisted despite the skeptics. He discovered that
platinum filament might endure longer. In comparison to
other metals, platinum has a better heat resistance. However,
the prevailing opinion was that the metal was "about to
become extinct" due to its extreme rarity.
Edison persevered. He sent letters to the scientific
community as well as to American and British consuls
around the globe. In his letters, he discussed the metal,
including "where and how it may be located, how it would be
identified, and how it might be processed." At his own
expense, he even added a sample of platinum. He also added
a motivating $20,000 incentive.
In his life he consistently
showed outstanding qualities of a scientist,
including perseverance, curiosity, and creativity.
Previous light bulbs had been created that
were capable of emitting light; however, they
burned out within minutes or hours making
them impractical for regular use.
In November 1879, Edison filed a patent
application for his carbon filament electric
lamp, which also had components made of
cotton, linen, and wood. Edison spent the
following year trying to find the perfect
filament for his lightbulb. More than 6,000
plants were evaluated during this process to
see which chemical would burn the longest.
Edison and his team eventually discovered
that a bamboo filament that had been
carbonized could burn for more than 1,200
hours. As a result, this was chosen as the
filament for Edison's light bulbs until it was
replaced by more durable materials in the
1880s and early 1900s.
Sources:
https://blog.genealogybank.com/amazing-inventors-thomas-edison-the-
electric-light-bulb.html
https://www.twinkl.com.ph/teaching-wiki/history-of-the-first-light-bulb
https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-
sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/biography/life-of-thomas-alva-edison/
On of the most significant contributions to
society, the light bulb allowed us to securely
navigate and travel in the dark, extended the
workplace well into the night, and helped
maintain social order after nightfall.