How to Make a Light Bulb
Head to your local art store and pick up some pencil lead., Round up the supplies needed for you bulb., Hook the copper wires up to the electrical clips., Attach your batteries together in series., Clamp a copper wire to one end of the batteries...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Head to your local art store and pick up some pencil lead.
You should use the kind you get in mechanical pencils
-- the thin, solo pieces of graphite that you can usually buy in packs.
The thinner, the better
-- try something like .5mm thickness.
Pencil lead actually isn't lead at all, it is graphite.
Graphite is an electrical conductor, making it a good filament for homemade light bulbs. -
Step 2: Round up the supplies needed for you bulb.
Everything here is easy to round up at a local hardware store, if you don't already have it all at home.
You'll need.
Two strands of copper wire (roughly 1-2 feet, each) Four electrical clips One clear glass jar Five or more batteries , The ends of each wire should have a clip on it.
If you don't have clips, you can still make a light-bulb.
To do so, curl each end of the wire into a little round hook. , This simply means you tape them together, end to end, so that they all work together to provide power.
Make sure you line them up positive end to negative end.
Then use electrical tape to secure all the batteries together into a long rod.
You must arrange the batteries so that there is a positive node on one end, and negative on the other. , Usually, you'll have a wire with red clips and one with black.
Hook one end of the red clips up to the positive end of the batteries, but leave the other clip off for now.
If you hook everything up, you'll actually be turning the light bulb on before you're ready.
You could get burned if you're not careful You can reverse the red and black if you want-- you just need different wires on each end.
Remember you only want to hook up one wire right now. , Think of making an H-shape, where the two clips are the sides and the graphite is the horizontal line in the middle.
The longer the graphite, the longer your bulb will last.
Use some tape, glue, or modeling clay to help stick the clips face up. , This isn't strictly necessary, as the graphite would still light even without the jar.
But the process creates smoke, and the graphite can shatter.
Moreover, having an actual "bulb" helps create a more even light. , You are making a simple circuit, connecting the batteries in an electrical loop.
The light comes from the graphite
-- as electricity flows through it, it heats up and emits energy in the form of light and heat.
Thus, your light bulb! , If the light is weak, or isn't working, there are some things you can do to make sure you get a working light.
Check the graphite thickness.
While larger thicknesses work,
0.5 mm seems to work best.
Add a few more batteries.
Also, make sure that the ones you have are touching end to end.
Make sure the wires are snug and well-connected to the batteries. -
Step 3: Hook the copper wires up to the electrical clips.
-
Step 4: Attach your batteries together in series.
-
Step 5: Clamp a copper wire to one end of the batteries.
-
Step 6: Stand up the two remaining clips
-
Step 7: then clamp the graphite between them.
-
Step 8: Put the glass jar on top of the clips and graphite.
-
Step 9: Attach the final wire to the other end of the batteries to turn the light on.
-
Step 10: Troubleshoot to get a stronger light.
Detailed Guide
You should use the kind you get in mechanical pencils
-- the thin, solo pieces of graphite that you can usually buy in packs.
The thinner, the better
-- try something like .5mm thickness.
Pencil lead actually isn't lead at all, it is graphite.
Graphite is an electrical conductor, making it a good filament for homemade light bulbs.
Everything here is easy to round up at a local hardware store, if you don't already have it all at home.
You'll need.
Two strands of copper wire (roughly 1-2 feet, each) Four electrical clips One clear glass jar Five or more batteries , The ends of each wire should have a clip on it.
If you don't have clips, you can still make a light-bulb.
To do so, curl each end of the wire into a little round hook. , This simply means you tape them together, end to end, so that they all work together to provide power.
Make sure you line them up positive end to negative end.
Then use electrical tape to secure all the batteries together into a long rod.
You must arrange the batteries so that there is a positive node on one end, and negative on the other. , Usually, you'll have a wire with red clips and one with black.
Hook one end of the red clips up to the positive end of the batteries, but leave the other clip off for now.
If you hook everything up, you'll actually be turning the light bulb on before you're ready.
You could get burned if you're not careful You can reverse the red and black if you want-- you just need different wires on each end.
Remember you only want to hook up one wire right now. , Think of making an H-shape, where the two clips are the sides and the graphite is the horizontal line in the middle.
The longer the graphite, the longer your bulb will last.
Use some tape, glue, or modeling clay to help stick the clips face up. , This isn't strictly necessary, as the graphite would still light even without the jar.
But the process creates smoke, and the graphite can shatter.
Moreover, having an actual "bulb" helps create a more even light. , You are making a simple circuit, connecting the batteries in an electrical loop.
The light comes from the graphite
-- as electricity flows through it, it heats up and emits energy in the form of light and heat.
Thus, your light bulb! , If the light is weak, or isn't working, there are some things you can do to make sure you get a working light.
Check the graphite thickness.
While larger thicknesses work,
0.5 mm seems to work best.
Add a few more batteries.
Also, make sure that the ones you have are touching end to end.
Make sure the wires are snug and well-connected to the batteries.
About the Author
Christopher Taylor
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: