Make Your Own Light Bulb

Build a lightbulb. Three different versions are listed. One uses tungsten in carbon dioxide. Another version uses mechanical pencil lead. The third version uses the gas captured from an incandescent bulb.

Instructions

1. Get a fruit jar (the kind of jar that has a lid that latches down). Displace the oxygen inside with a more inert (not chemically reactive) gas. Carbon dioxide is a good choice since it is less reactive and is heavier than air. Generate the carbon monoxide gas bubbles in a separate container using vinegar and baking soda, with the jar tipped to the side so that the invisible gas spills over into the fruit jar. Be careful not to let the vinegar enter the jar. The more inert the gas, the longer the filament will last. Ideally, a vacuum pump would be used to evacuate the jar of gas entirely, but this version is cheaper and will work as a demonstration.

2. Attach alligator clips (available at the local electronics or auto supply store) to both ends of two wires. Depending on the type of clip used, this may require the wire to be crimped into place or screwed down. Tape two alligator clips from different wires with stiff packaging tape to keep two alligator clips separate and to line them up so that they can both bite down on a wire and still allow it to be straight.

3. 

   Between two alligator clips on separate wires, clamp a single piece of graphite (used to refill mechanical pencils). Lower this into the inert gas. The thinner the graphite, the more work the electricity has to do to get though it (resistance) and the brighter the graphite will glow. Alternatively, a piece of wire from inside a burned-out lightbulb may be used. Be careful with the (tungsten) bulb filament since it is very thin and fragile.

4. Connect the other end of the two wires to a power source in short busts. If a longer burst is used it will burn out the lightbulb filament if that is what is used. The graphite should work with no problem since it does not require an unreactive gas environment but the jar is still necessary to ensure that the superheated graphite does not burn anyone or anything.

5. You could also try immersing the jar underwater in a bathtub. Fill the jar with water so that there are no bubbles and invert the jar (still full) under the water. With gloves on, break a fluorescent bulb at one end and spill the gas upward so that the jar catches it as it tries to rise to the surface of the water. Do this several times until the jar is filled completely with the gas. With the wires unhooked from their power source, insert the taped end into the jar and clamp it shut. Remove and dry the jar before use.

Tips & Warnings

• Notice that the tungsten, graphite, and gas are all considered relatively inert. The best bulbs are inert so that they do not burn out. If the tungsten is on for a prolonged amount of time in carbon dioxide, it will burn out, but a few seconds at a time should be fine. The more inert (chemically unreactive) the gas, the longer the tungsten will last. Even copper can be used in an inert environment. Even better than an inert gas is a vacuum since it has even less chance to react. Noble gases (from the periodic table) or a pure element like sodium made into a vapor will make different types of light which can be useful in different situations.

• Never allow the battery to be hooked up when building the bulbs. Never allow water to contact electricity or to come close to it. Be extremely careful to use protective gloves in the tub when breaking glass so that the glass (which will be almost impossible to see in the water) does not come in contact with human flesh. Remove the glass carefully from the tube once it has been allowed to drain completely. Rinse the tub and check carefully for good measure. Wear goggles at all times. Never fill the bulb with combustible or explosive materials.

Resources

• Stockpiled Lightbulbs? (Entertaining)
• Build A Light Bulb
• Cheap Vaccum Pump