1 minute speech on inventors and inventions about light bulbs
Answers
To say that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb is an overstatement. A more accurate view is that he perfected a practical light bulb and that his real aim and achievement was the invention of an electrical system to produce and distribute electrical power.
In 1878 the best source of lighting was gas. Unfortunately it was far from convenient. It was dirty, unhealthy, uncomfortable and dangerous. When gas burned it created soot.
For a brief period the material of choice for the filament was carbon. But because the quality of the vacuums that could be created was so poor carbon filaments disintegrated quickly. Edison switched to the more resilient material platinum. In 1879, he obtained an improved vacuum pump called the Springer vacuum, and it proved to be the catalyst for a breakthrough.
This was because once a house or business had electricity installed for lighting an almost endless amount of other items could be developed and sold: electric irons, fans, electric motors, refrigerators and eventually items like air conditioners and computers. There were dozens of new items that had to be invented or improved in order to produce and distribute electricity.