Inventor who created the incandescent lamp. Who invented the light bulb? Russian scientist Alexander Lodygin

We are all used to and do not notice such an ordinary and everyday thing as an electric light bulb. The maximum that the average person thinks about this topic is: “shouldn’t I replace the incandescent lamp with a more interesting design or switch to energy-saving technology?” Meanwhile, for its century it was a truly revolutionary thing! There is a debate about who was the first to contribute to the invention of the first light bulb. Our compatriots are sure that this Russian engineer Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin, but scientists from different countries worked on this problem: Swan from England, Goebel from Germany, Delarue from France, all of them worked a lot in this area of scientific discoveries. Who invented the first light bulb?

Ancient prototypes

How did ancient people paint caves with rock paintings when there was no natural light? Torches and fires? But they emit smoke and soot, and you can’t draw much like that, three meters from the fire it’s already a little dark... Historians reflect on this topic and cannot come to a consensus. The only mention of lighting is that the Egyptian pyramids depict people holding lamps are very similar to electric lamps.

First experiments with an arc lamp

History of the invention of the electric lamp

Each student in physics class covered the topic of the history of the invention of electricity. It is generally accepted that the invention of the design of a working electric lamp belongs to Thomas Edison, who published his discovery in 1879. However, behind this invention there is a lot more hard work than we think.

The appearance of modern electric lamps was preceded by a large number of preparatory studies in different countries world by inventors and scientists. The achievements of previous generations were improved, experiments were carried out with different types The environment in which the filament was placed changed and improved the light bulb. The history of the invention has many stages.

The task before the scientists was simple and complex at the same time - to obtain a design that could be used in everyday life. One of promising directions it turned out study of the incandescence effect of various materials.

If you pass an electric current through some metals, they will glow and produce a source of light. There was only one question - how to prevent the material from overheating, melting or burning. Many experiments have been carried out in this direction. Scientists knew that achieving a balance between the filament element and the environment in which it heats would mean a giant breakthrough.

What is combustion? First of all, this is direct contact with oxygen. Since it is contained in the environment, the only way to prevent the filament element from catching fire is to limit the heating element's exposure to air. Hence , you need a container, a lamp.

Contribution of Russian researchers

Edison era

It must be said that in addition to a brilliant mind, Thomas Edison had obvious talent as a businessman. He was the first to realize what enormous financial benefits the mass production of incandescent lamps promised. Edison began working on improving the design of the lamp in 1878 and immediately declared that he had solved the problem of the electric lamp. At that time, Edison was the inventor of the telephone and the phonograph, so they immediately believed him. Edison's statement was reflected in the stock exchange. Shares of gas companies rapidly crept down in price.

However Edison got a little excited. It was not possible to solve the problem immediately. The inventor had an idea to create a switch for normal operation of the lamp, so that there would be no excessive overheating of the filament element. But they did not fire at the right moment, which was unpleasant to the eye and led to flickering. The design was not applicable for mass production. The laboratory led by Edison conducted multiple experiments with experiments from different materials filament and different environments where it was placed.

The breakthrough was helped by a young physicist from the Princeton Institute surname Upton. Physicists began to study already received patents and discoveries in this area. And we came across the idea of the resistance properties of metals in relation to incandescent technology. It turned out that metals with the highest coefficient of resistance heat up more easily and do not burn. By the beginning of 1880, the first results began to appear. The design that worked best was a combination of a vacuum lamp and bamboo carbon rods in the form of a thread. This is how the first efficient electric lamp appeared.

In addition to the problem of improving the incandescent lamp, Edison also dealt with the problem of powering the lamp. His laboratory invented the lamp base and switch. After 2 years, Edison’s commercial talent revealed itself to its full extent. The Edison Electrical Light Company was founded, with a network of stations and branch stores throughout New York City, and the lamps were heavily advertised and sold. These were the first analogues of modern light bulbs.

Edison had a serious rival in England who was also working on the problem of improving the electric lamp. Englishman Swan I realized that using a pump you can create a vacuum best quality. But its carbon rod was too thick and left soot, so it was difficult to use in practice.

After analyzing Edison's successes, Swan began to use his discoveries in his lamps. He opened his own lamp manufacturing company. Edison did not ignore such impudence and filed a lawsuit for violation of copyright law. Disputes continued for some time, but both researchers decided to reconcile and join forces in one company. Thus, Edison Swan United appeared, major manufacturer electric lamps all over the world.

Which inventor is considered the first?

Both Russian and American inventors worked on their projects almost simultaneously.

Alexander Nikolaevich Lodygin received a patent for the invention of the lamp in 1874, Thomas Edison began research five years later.

Of course, with all due respect to the commercial talent of T. Edison, the promotion and mass use of such a necessary and useful invention, the main place is rightfully given to the invention of the electric lamp Russian inventor A. N. Lodygin.

Modern incandescent lamps are modifications of Lodygin's invention, since they have a more efficient light flow, as well as excellent color rendering and higher efficiency. Today we have the right to be proud of our compatriot for his contribution to an ingenious and useful invention.

The question is who invented the light bulb first, Oddly enough, it worries people even today. Americans and pro-Western people are sure that T. Edison was the first. Russian patriots prove that the first is A.N. Lodygin. But there were also the Frenchman Delarue, the Belgian Jobard, the Englishman D.W. Swan, German G. Gebel, Russian P.Ya. Yablochkov and other scientists who contributed to this invention.

Ancient predecessors of the light bulb

The history of the study of ancient structures - pyramids, underground paintings, caves, etc. is replete with questions and mysteries. One of them is “What lighting were used to paint these structures in the complete absence of natural light and soot from possible torches inside the premises?” The question has haunted researchers for decades.

On the walls of the pyramids themselves there is an answer that is difficult for historians to believe - ancient people used lamps, most likely electric, powered by powerful batteries.

How the modern light bulb was invented

The appearance of electric light bulbs on a mass scale was prepared by a number of scientists and inventors. Often they carried out their own research, but there were also those who improved or put into practice the inventions of their predecessors. Let's name the main milestones in the creation of an electric lamp:

in 1820, Delarue tested a light bulb in which the filament was platinum wire. Platinum heated up and glowed perfectly, but the Frenchman’s invention remained a prototype, to which the author never returned;
1838 marked the first use of a carbon rod in the form of an incandescent element. The Belgian Jobard studied the possibilities of its glow;
in 1854, Goebel conducted experiments on bamboo, which he used instead of an incandescent filament. He is also responsible for the first use of a vessel with evacuated air for a lamp. Goebel was the first to invent the electric light bulb, which could be used for illumination;
in 1860 D.W. Swan patented a lamp in which the luminous element was in a vacuum. This invention was impossible to use in mass applications due to the difficulties of obtaining a vacuum;
The year 1874 was marked by the receipt of a patent for a lamp with a carbon filament placed in a vacuum by the Russian research engineer A.N. Lodygin. This lamp was capable of burning for half an hour and was used to illuminate streets. Therefore, the Russian engineer is considered the one who invented the light bulb first in the world;
in 1875 V.F. Didrikhson, employee A.N. Lodygina, improved his lamp by installing several carbon fibers independent from each other, thereby extending the glow period of the device. In this lamp, when one hair burned out, the next one immediately lit up;
Russian electrical engineer P.N. Yablochkov in 1875–1876 created a lamp with a kaolin filament, which did not require a vacuum for long-term combustion. Yablochkov’s device differed from previous versions by the need to preheat the conductor, for example, with a match flame;
in 1878, a patent was received for a lamp with a carbon fiber filament placed in rarefied oxygen. The lamp gave a bright light, but for a very short time. The author of the invention was D.W. Swan;
in 1879, a patent for a lamp with a platinum filament was issued to T. Edison in the USA;
in 1880, T. Edison creates a lamp with a carbon filament with a burning life of 40 hours. He also invents a switch for the convenience of working with lighting. Among other things, T. Edison was responsible for the creation of the light bulb base and socket for it;
in the 1890s A.N. Lodygin designs several versions of lamps using refractory metals for the filament. For the first time, he suggests twisting the filament in a spiral and comes to the conclusion that tungsten and molybdenum are the best options for incandescent filament. The first incandescent lamps with tungsten filaments, mass-produced in America, were produced under the patent of a Russian inventor;
filling the flask with an inert gas to prolong the performance of the filament and increase the brightness of the lighting was first used by the company " General Electric"in 1909 on the initiative of I. Langmuir.

From the chronology of events it is clear that many scientists and inventors had a hand in the invention of the incandescent lamp.

The main merit of T. Edison is that he, having found his bearings in time, being a researcher and businessman, patented the devices invented before him, improved them and began their mass production. Therefore, he cannot be considered the first to invent the incandescent lamp. , but T. Edison is the one who began the mass industrial introduction of the light bulb into everyday life. The first inventor of the incandescent lamp used for lighting was and remains A.N. Lodygin.

The common incandescent light bulb, which is used in almost every home, is often referred to as the Edison light bulb. The history of its invention was not so simple. Before giving artificial light to billions of people, it has come a long way of development.

Edison light bulb

American Thomas Alva Edison is one of the most enterprising people in this world. He owns about 4 thousand patents for various inventions. This man became the author of the phonograph, telegraph, carbon microphone, kinetoscope, iron-nickel battery and other devices. It is with his name that the idea of creating an incandescent light bulb is associated.

However, Edison's light bulb with a carbon filament inside was far from the first in the world. More than ten inventors worked on the problem of creating lamps. various forms and sizes, inside which bamboo, platinum and carbon threads were located. Many of them were officially registered.

Why, among so many inventors, only Edison gained world fame? His main role was not in the idea of creating a lamp, but in developing a way to make the mechanism easy to use, cheap and accessible to everyone.

First attempts

It is difficult to say exactly who came up with the idea to create a light bulb. But before Edison's light bulb appeared, hundreds of experiments were carried out and many similar inventions were announced. Arc bulbs appear first, and then incandescent bulbs. In the 19th century, the discovery of the phenomenon led inventors to the idea of creating artificial light. This required connecting two connected wires to electricity, and then moving them slightly apart. This is how a glow appeared between the wires.

There is information that the Belgian Gerard was the first to create a lamp with a carbon rod. Current was applied to the device and the rod produced light. Later it became known about the Englishman Delarue, who replaced coal with a platinum thread.

Such light bulbs were considered valuable discoveries, but their application was accompanied by great difficulties. Platinum filament was an expensive pleasure; not everyone could afford to use such a lamp. The carbon rod was much cheaper, but it was not enough for a long time.

Solid progress

In 1854, the German watchmaker Heinrich Goebel created a lamp with a thin carbon rod that shines much longer than the previous ones. The inventor managed to achieve this by creating a vacuum. Goebel lamp for a long time went unnoticed, and only years later it was declared the first light bulb suitable for practical use (declaring Edison's patent invalid).

Joseph Swan and Alexander Lodygin worked on improving the mechanism. The latter patents the invention of a “filament lamp” operating on a carbon rod in a vacuum. In 1875, he distinguished himself noticeably by inventing “electric candles.” The Russian engineer used a kaolin filament that did not require a vacuum. Yablochkov lamps were used for street lighting and became widespread in Europe.

Mechanism improvement

The main direction has long been known. A rod made of a certain material is placed in a vacuum and connected to electric current. All that remained was to choose the right material for the electrode for a long-lasting glow.

In 1878, Edison became interested in finding a successful solution for light bulbs. The inventor acted using the method of practical trials: he carbonized a mass of plants and substituted various materials as a filament. After 6 thousand experiments, he manages to make a lamp from bamboo coals that lasts 40 hours. Edison's light bulb begins to be mass produced, displacing other lamps on the market. In 1890, engineer Lodygin registered the use of a tungsten rod, and later sold the patent to General Electric.

Edison's merits

While developing the lamp, Edison understood that in addition to the choice of materials, the design of the mechanism was also important. So, he invents a screw base, creates fuses, meters, the first switches, and electric generators. Many of the lighting components that Edison invented are standard and are still used throughout the world.

The inventor made light bulbs available to everyone. To do this, he began selling them at a reduced price. Edison cost a little more than a dollar. The enterprising American’s plans were to make the invention so affordable that even wax candles would seem like a luxury in comparison. Rapid automation of production made it possible to reduce costs while still producing large quantities of goods. Soon the cost of the lamp became about 22 cents. The inventor's dream came true - light bulbs appeared in every home.

Edison light bulbs in the interior

Nowadays, light bulbs are commonplace. They are affordable and very convenient to use. Moreover, many different types and models of lamps have appeared. Their practical significance faded into the background, they have now become an important addition to the home interior.

“Edison's light bulb” (see photo above) is the name of a certain one. They are decorated in a retro style and are similar to those used in the time of Thomas Edison. Such lamps emit a soft, pleasant light and look like a glass bulb or ball on a durable cord. Edison light bulbs are often used to design public spaces - bars, cafes, or to decorate living rooms and bedrooms.

Today it’s hard to believe, but just a hundred years ago electric lamps were available only to the wealthiest residents of large cities. The rest of humanity whiled away the evenings by candlelight or, at best, with kerosene lamps.

Who and when invented the incandescent light bulb and thereby brought comfortable and bright light into our homes? It is difficult to give an exact answer to this question, since this invention, like many other technical ideas, has several authors.

Background

In the nineteenth century, many researchers became interested in electricity and the possibilities that could be realized by using this type of energy. One of these features was convenient lighting. The phenomenon of a red-hot conductor glowing when an electric current passes through it has been known for a long time.

The only thing left to do was to find a material that could withstand high temperatures for a long enough time, without breaking down and being cheap enough to produce. The most suitable substances were platinum, coal and, but only coal at that time met all the requirements, including cost.

The first electric lamps

The very first electric lamp was made back in 1820 by the Englishman Warren Delarue. As a light-emitting element, he used a platinum wire, which became heated when current was passed through it and emitted a fairly bright light. The Delarue light bulb showed excellent results, but was too expensive to be put into production. She remained a prototype.

18 years later, an electric light bulb with a carbon incandescent element was created in Belgium. Its author was an engineer named Jobar. The next version of the electric lamp was made in Germany by Heinrich Gebel. In it, light was emitted by a red-hot bamboo stick. To prevent the bamboo from burning out longer, Gebel pumped out the air from the glass vessel, i.e. The light bulb of the German inventor became the first prototype of modern incandescent lamps.

Electricity on the streets of St. Petersburg

In 1873, electric lighting was installed on the central streets of the Russian capital. The author of the project was the Russian designer Pavel Yablochkov, who created a light bulb called an electric candle. An electric current heated a special wick until it glowed, due to which the lighting was realized. Subsequently, Yablochkov improved the candle, since in the original version the wick burned out in just one and a half to two hours, and the next day it was necessary to replace it. In the subsequent design, spark plug replacement was automatically performed by a special mechanism.

In the same 1873, Russian electrical engineer Alexander Lodygin patented a vacuum electric lamp with a carbon incandescent element, the design of which was almost identical to modern lamps. Subsequently, Lodygin worked hard to improve his lamp, experimenting with various refractory metals. In 1890, he came to the conclusion that the best substitute for the carbon element was a thin tungsten filament.

In this case, the air was pumped out from the glass flask, and instead the lamp was filled with inert gas. As a matter of fact, Lodygin can be considered the inventor of the modern incandescent electric lamp, which has been used in our homes for more than a hundred years.

Edison light bulb

The American self-taught experimenter T. Edison, who in the West is considered the inventor of the light bulb, registered a patent for a coal lamp in 1879, i.e. six years after Lodygin. However, he holds the undisputed right to the title of creator of the base and socket for electric lamps, as well as the invention of a convenient switch.

Edison was not only a talented inventor, but also a good businessman, thanks to which he quickly founded his own company and began producing electric lamps of his own design.

The light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, right? Many people know about this and teach it this way in school. However, behind this important and much-needed item is more than just the name of its creator, Mr. Edison. The history of the light bulb actually began almost 70 years earlier. In 1806, Humphry Davy, an Englishman, demonstrated a powerful electric lamp to the royal society. The Davy lamp produced illumination by creating blinding electric sparks between two carbon rods. This device, known as an "arc lamp", was impractical for widespread use. The light, as if from a welding torch, was too bright for use in living and working areas. The device also required a huge power source and battery, which Davy's model quickly used up.

As time went on, electric generators were invented that could power electric arcs. This found its application where a bright light source was simply necessary: at lighthouses and in public institutions. Later, arc lamps were used in war, because powerful searchlights could track enemy aircraft. Today you can see similar illuminators near cinemas or at the opening of new stores.

1. Who invented the incandescent light bulb?

19th century inventors wanted to find a way to use a lamp both at home and at work. A completely new method of creating electric light was needed. This method of generating light is known as "incandescence".

Scientists knew that if you took certain materials and passed enough electricity through them, they would heat up. At a certain heating temperature they begin to glow. The problem with this method was that with prolonged use the material could burst into flames or melt. If the incandescent lamp were made more practical, these two problems would be solved.

The inventors realized that the only way to prevent fire was to prevent them from coming into contact with oxygen. Oxygen is a necessary ingredient in the combustion process. Since oxygen is contained in the atmosphere, the only way to avoid fire was to enclose the burner in a glass container, or "lamp". That is, limit contact with air. In 1841, British inventor Frederick DeMoleynes patented a lamp using this technique in combination with a platinum filament and carbon. American John Starr also received a patent in 1845 for a lamp using a vacuum in combination with a carbon burner. Many others, including the English chemist Joseph Swan, improved and patented variations of vacuum lamps with burners of different materials and different shapes. However, none of them had practical application for everyday use. Swan's lamp, for example, used carbon paper, which crumbled quickly after burning.

2. Who invented the light bulb Edison or Yablochkov?

It was obvious that incandescent lamps would be a huge financial success if improved. Therefore, many inventors continued to work to find a solution. Young and daring inventor Thomas Edison entered the race in 1878 to create the best lamp. Edison was already known in the world for the creation of a telephone transmitter and a phonograph. In October of the same year, having been working on the project for several months, he announced in the newspapers: “I have solved the problem of electric light!” This swift statement was enough to lower the shares of the gas companies whose lamps provided the then lighting.

As it turned out, Edison's statement was premature. He only had an idea how to solve the problems of incandescent electric lamps. Edison thought he would solve the problem by building a temperature-sensitive switch in the lamp that would turn off when the temperature got too high. It was a good idea, but unfortunately it didn't work. To keep the lamp cool enough, the switches operated too quickly. This resulted in constant flickering, which made the lamps unusable (the same principle is now used in Christmas lights).

It soon became clear to everyone who worked in Edison's laboratory that a different approach was needed. Edison decides to hire young physicist Francis Upton from Princeton University to work on the project. Up to this point, Edison's laboratory staff had tried idea after idea. Under Upton's leadership, they also began to pay attention to existing patents and advances to avoid similar mistakes. The team also began conducting basic research about the properties of the materials they were working with.

One of the results of testing the properties of materials was the realization that any thread has a high electrical resistance. All materials have some amount of “friction” when electricity passes through it. Materials with high resistance heat up more easily. Edison only had to test high-resistivity materials to find what he was looking for.

The inventor began to think not only about electric light individually, but also about the whole electrical system. How big does a generator need to be to illuminate a nearby area? What voltage is needed to light a house?

By October 1879, Edison's team began to see the first results. On the 22nd, a thin carbon filament burned for 13 hours of the experiment. The longer time was achieved by creating a better vacuum inside the lamp (less oxygen inside the lamp slowed down the combustion process). Carbon-based organic materials were tested and Japanese bamboo was found to be the best. By the end of 1880, charred bamboo fibers had burned for almost 600 hours. Threads have proven to be the best form to increase the electrical resistance of materials.

Charred bamboo had high resistance and fit well into the design of an entire electrical system. In 1882, the Edison Electrical Light Company was founded and had its stations located on Pearl Street, providing light to New York City. In 1883, Macy's store was the first to install new incandescent light bulbs.

3. Edison vs. Swan.

Meanwhile in England, Joseph Swan continued to work on light bulbs after seeing that the new pumps made a better vacuum. Swan created a lamp that was good for demonstration but impractical for actual use. Swan used a thick carbon rod that left soot inside the lamp. Also the low rod resistance meant that the lamp was using too much power. After seeing the success of Edison's lamps, Swan used these advances to create his own lamps. After founding his company in England, Swan was sued by Edison for copyright infringement. Eventually, the two inventors decided to stop arguing and join forces. They founded Edison-Swan United, which became one of the world's largest light bulb manufacturers.

So Edison invented the electric lamp? Not really. The incandescent lamp was invented before him. However, he created the first practical lamp with electrical system, which is his great achievement.

Edison's name is also associated with the invention of the telephone transmitter, phonograph, and mimeograph. And his incandescent lamp is still used today. This shows how great the work of Edison and his team was. After all, they brought this invention from the laboratory to the home.