Matt+A

 Problem: Between incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, which can be proven to be the most efficient source of light?

Hypothesis: If fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs are tested in effiency in wattage consumption, heat production, and luman production, then the fluorescent bulb will be found to be to the most efficient because it will produce no heat and uses less energy while producing equal amount of light to incandescent.

When the problem of whether a popcorn kernel can be popped by the heat given off by a light bulb over time is presented, information must be gained before hand to access the best way to find a solution to the problem. Some basic but vital information must be found such as the properties of light itself and the characteristics of specific light forms. Of course the basis of the problem is the popcorn kernel so the characteristics, both physical and chemical, must be gathered to create a greater understanding for the problem. The other basis of the problem is the light bulb, which can vary in nature and form, so a wide variety of information on the function and properties of the light bulbs. Light, while almost always constant and present in the daily life, has many different properties to it. Light, when emitted from a source, travels in a direct and straight manner. Light will continue in the directing it is emitted until it either comes in contact with matter, regardless of the state of the matter, or if the comes in contact with a special occurrence, such as a black hole. When light comes in contact with matter, the effects on light can vary depending on the state of the matter. If the object is solid, the light with either be reflected, refracted, absorbed, or passed on. If reflected, the light will continue in a straight manner, but the direction that it goes is determined by the angle that it hits the object, and the shape of the matter’s surface. If refracted, the light will continue in a straight and forward direction through the matter, but at an angled manner that is nonparallel to the original ray’s direction. If the matter absorbs the light, then it is stopped and does not continue to travel in any direction. Finally, if the light is passed on through the matter, the direction and angle are not affected. The only characteristic that is affected is the speed of the light, which can be reduced depending on the composite of the matter. A more specific category of light is the infrared spectrum, which is a vital factor to the problem being presented. Infrared light lies between the visible light and microwave sections of the electromagnetic spectrum, and respectively, there are further categorizations within infrared light that are related to its bordering sections. Near infrared waves are mainly used in television remotes and other wireless controls. These waves are closer to visible light rather than microwaves, which is what gives the categorization of near infrared waves. Far infrared waves on the other hand, are more like microwaves in that they produce thermal radiation that can be felt. Far infrared waves are the base factor in finding a solution to the proposed problem because they are responsible for heat, which is what will cause the popcorn kernel to pop. Popcorn kernels are a vital piece to the solution of the problem, and most important information about the popcorn is its physical properties. Popcorn’s anatomy is the best way to understand the reason why it changes into an enjoyable edible food when heat is applied. Inside the hard outer hull, there is a small amount of water surrounded by starch. As the water is heated to a boiling point, it transitions to steam, which then reacts with the starch to form a mixture of superheated gelatin. As heat increases, so does the pressure against the inside of the hull. At about 160 degrees Celsius, the pressure reaches about 135 pounds per square inch, which is when the hull can no longer contain the superheated gelatinous mixture, and fractures, which releases the pressure. As the gelatinous starch comes into contact with the much cooler air outside the hull, it quickly solidifies. The bubbles of heated starch and water that make up the gelatinous mixture fuse together and solidify as they meet the cooler outer-hull air. The gelatin mixture expands by an enormous rate before it completely solidifies, which is what creates that soft, white solid that makes popcorn unique in identity. The final, but most important factor to the problem is the light source that is meant to provide heat for the popcorn. There are three basic varieties of light bulbs: incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen bulbs. Each bulb differs in how they produce light and what they use to produce light. Incandescent bulbs are basic and the most common. They use a thin tungsten filament sealed in vacuum-sealed glass to produce light when electricity is run through it. Resistance is made in the filament to the electricity, which builds up heat. This heat creates a white light because the heat being created in the filament is white-hot. The reason the light remains constant even such a high temperature is due to the vacuum, which does not allow any outside gases into the bulb, such as oxygen, which, if presented to the heated filament, would cause it to burn up. Fluorescent bulbs use a different method of producing light. Inside the vacuum-sealed ceramic bulb, there is argon and mercury vapor. When electricity is run through the electrodes and the gases, the electrons run into mercury atoms and excite them. When a mercury atom returns to an unexcited state, ultraviolet photons are given off, which then run into the phosphor coating inside the tubing, and visible white light is released from the bulb. The biggest difference in this method of producing light from incandescent and halogen bulbs is the fact that little to no heat is produced during the lighting process. Halogen bulbs are more efficient and brighter versions of incandescent bulbs, but also more expensive. Rather than being encased in frosted glass, halogen bulbs are most commonly encased in a quartz envelope because of the close facility it has to the filament compared to the incandescent. A halogen bulb runs much hotter than an incandescent bulb because while a tungsten filament is still used, the gas that is filled within the vacuum-sealed quartz belongs to the halogen group. Halogen gases have the ability to combine with tungsten vapors, which is the key aspect to halogen bulbs. As the tungsten evaporates from the filament into vapor as the heat increases, the halogen gas combines with the vapor and deposits the tungsten back onto the filament, allowing for longer burn time for the bulb, but more importantly, a higher temperature is produced from the bulb. __Works Sited__

Optics: An Educator’s Guide With Activities in Science and Mathematics. “Introduction to Light and Color” []  (Multiple Authors). “How does a halogen light bulb work?”. [].

(Multiple Authors). “Are fluorescent bulbs really more efficient than normal light bulbs?”. [].

(No Author). “Infrared Waves”. [].

(No Author). “What Makes Popcorn Pop?”. [].

Hartman, Holly. “Popcorn- History, science, and good snacky fun”. [].

(Multiple Authors). “How does popcorn work?”. [].

(No Author). “Popcorn: Kernels”. [].

The Popcorn Board. “What Makes Popcorn Pop?”. []  (No Author). “Heat Produced From Light Bulbs: Increase the Wattage, increase the heat”. [].

Ansell, Dave. “Steam explosion – the science of popcorn”. [].

=__Materials __=  1.) Incandescent light bulbs (40, 75, 150 watt) 2.) Fluorescent light bulbs (13, 20, 42 watt) 3.) Microwaveable safe plastic bowl (preferably black) 4.) Nails/Screws 5.) Extension cord 6.) Light bulb sockets 7.) Light bulb reflective bowel 8.) Infrared thermometer 9.) Stopwatch 10.) Solar cell 11.) Volt meter

=__Procedure __= 1.) Acquire necessary materials 2.) Assemble test frame with wood, nails/screws, light bulb sockets, and reflective light bowels (view diagram) 3.) Insert one of the six bulbs into the socket set 20 centimeters above the bowel's highest point, being sure that the bowel is center below the light fixture 4.) Read the initial temperature of the bowel's surface 5.) Turn on light and stopwatch to begin testing 6.) When ten seconds [10 seconds] is reached, use the thermometer to read the temperature of the center of the bowel and record the data 7.) When one minute [1 minute or 60 seconds] is reached, repeat the temperature-taking process 8.) When five minutes [5 minutes or 300 seconds] is reached, repeat the temperature-taking process 9.) When fifteen minutes [15 minutes or 4500 seconds] is reached, repeat the temperature-taking process and turn off the light. 10.) Take bowel out from beneath the light fixture and replace it with the solar cell attached to the volt meter 11.) Be sure no other light is entering the testing area so that the reading is solely of the light bulb 12.) Turn on the volt meter so that it will read single digit volts and turn on the light bulb 13.) Wait five minutes [5 minutes or 300 seconds] to allow the bulb to reach a practical light production and then record the volts being produced from the solar cell 14.) Turn off the light and take out the bulb from the socket 15.) Replace the bulb with another to begin a new trial 16.) Before begining the new trial, be sure the bowel and testing facility cools down to the natural temperature by waiting about ten minutes 17.) Repeat Steps 3-17 as directed until seven to ten [7 to 10] trials have been made for each of the six bulbs