How to Make a Battery Light a Bulb

Light Bulb

A light bulb is lit by a power source entering the bulb's filament through terminals at the base of the bulb. At the center of the bulb base is one terminal, which can be the entry point of the power, and the copper casing base, which usually has either the thread or the bayonet studs, is the other terminal. To light the bulb, one simply needs to attach wires and run power from one terminal to the other.

Things You'll Need

• 2-foot wire. Battery. Light bulb. Insulation tape.

Instructions

Equipment and Process

1. Cut a length of wire into two pieces. The length is arbitrary, as you can make the wire however long is needed. Strip an inch of the cover from both ends of each piece of wire. Use wire strippers for a professional stripping of the wire, but a pen knife will also do the job.

2. Attach the exposed end of one wire to the center terminal of the light bulb. Use the insulation tape to secure the wire to the contact. Duct tape will suffice also. Tape the exposed end of the wire by laying it flat against the terminal to ensure complete contact. Using a battery on which the + and -- terminals are raised will be more expedient.

3. Attach the exposed end of the other piece of wire in a similar way but to the copper cover of the bulb's base. Once again, ensure you have complete contact when taping the wire to the terminal on the bulb.

4. Secure one of the wires' exposed ends to one of the battery terminals, using the duct or insulation tape.

5. Use the other exposed end of the next piece of wire like a switch, and when you touch it to the opposite terminal of the battery, the bulb will light up.

Tips & Warnings

• Ensure that the contacts are firm. The brightness of the bulb will depend on the voltage of the battery.

• Avoid touching live wires.

Resources

• LIght Bulbs