Author: Heather Jacobson
Flashlights are highly essential for many types of occupations, and are also very handy to have around the house. Here is a little bit of trivia for those who want to know more about these handheld torches: It was in 1898 when the concept of a tube mounted and battery powered bulb was first introduced. Later on, the Eveready Battery Company produced more improved models of the original concept.
Today, flashlights have evolved into different kinds depending on usage, as well as a multitude of sizes for various needs. Medical flashlights can be mounted on pen tips and powered with pill-sized lithium batteries, while some workers' flashlights are mounted on hard hats and helmets. An American inventor was able to come up with a concept of a flashlight that does not run on batteries, and you need to charge up the power source by shaking the tube or cranking the handle attached to it. These torches were able to work via electromagnetic induction.
The most important feature of a flashlight that determines its usability is of course, the light bulb. There are two most common types of flashlight bulbs in the market today, and they are what are usually bought for home and personal use. These are the LED bulbs and xenon flashlight bulbs. Here are some notes to help you gauge the difference between the two.
Xenon flashlight bulbs follow the same principle as incandescent bulbs, wherein a small tungsten wire in the bulb is heated to produce light. Within the glass chamber of the bulb is a gas, which used to be argon, but is now commonly xenon. The gas helps stabilize the heating of the tungsten wire, such that it does not produce a flame. Maglite is a very popular company that manufactures torches with xenon flashlight bulbs.
Another type of flashlight bulb is the LED, which stands for light-emitting diode. With the use of semiconductors and a source of electricity, light can be produced. These flashlight bulbs are said to be more energy efficient, and are more resistant to shattering when the torch is suddenly dropped. More flashlight companies today make use of the LED flashlight bulbs, because they require less energy from the battery to produce a sufficient brightness of light. However, LED flashlight bulbs can still produce heat, contrary to the misconception that they do not. LED flashlights will probably save you money in batteries over time.
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