Household Fixes

Light bulbs have a very simple structure. At the base, they have two metal contacts, which connect to the ends of an electrical circuit. The metal contacts are attached to two stiff wires, which are attached to a thin metal filament. The filament sits in the middle of the bulb, held up by a glass mount. The wires and the filament are housed in a glass bulb, which is filled with an inert gas, such as argon.

When the bulb is hooked up to a power supply, an electric current flows from one contact to the other, through the wires and the filament. Electric current in a solid conductor is the mass movement of free electrons (electrons that are not tightly bound to an atom) from a negatively charged area to a positively charged area.

Electrons constantly collide with the atoms in the filament as the zip through it. The energy produced by each collision vibrates the atoms, which heats them up. A thinner electrical conductor heats up easier and quicker than a thicker one, this is because it has a far greater resistance to electron movement.

Bound electrons inside the vibrating atoms can be temporarily enhanced to a higher energy level and when they receed back to their normal energy level, they release extra energy in the form of photons. Atoms of metal mostly release infrared light, which human eyes cannot see. However if they are heated enough (in the case of a light bulb around 2,200 degrees C / 4,000 degrees F) they will emit lots of clearly visible light.

Within the light bulb itself, the filament is a long, very thin wire of tungsten metal. This is used is very nearly all incandescent light bulbs, and this is because tungsten is simply ideal to use for the filament material. Most other metals would melt under such high temperatures, the structural bonds between the atoms would be broken apart by the vibrations caused by the heat, hence the material becomes liquid. Tungsten is the favoured metal to use in light bulbs because of its high melting temperature. However with that said, tungsten will set on fire when it reaches such extreme temperatures, in the right conditions. Combustion is the end result of two particular chemicals reacting with each other, which occurs when one of said chemicals reaches it’s ignition heat. On earth at least, combustion is almost always a reaction between the atmosphere’s oxygen, and a given heated material, but there are other chemical combinations that will ignite as well. The lightbulb’s filament is encased in a sealed chamber free of oxygen, therefore avoiding combustion. In the early days of light bulbs, a near vacuum was created inside the bulb by sucking out all (or nearly all) of the air, as a result of this, there was barley any oxygen in the bulb, preventing combustion.

The main flaw with this method was that the tungsten atoms were evaporating. At the high temperatures required, occasionally a tungsten atom vibrates heavily enough to seperate itself from the surrounding atoms and launches itself into the air. In the old style vacuum bulbs, the free atoms of tungsten shoot out in straight line and build up on the inside of the glass bulb. As this happens over and over again, the filament is losing atoms and therefore starts to disintegrate, and the glass gets darker and darker as it fills up with atoms. This has a massive effect on the lifespan of a light bulb.

However, in modern day light bulbs, inert gases are used inside them to reduce the loss of tungsten, usually argon. So when an atom of tungsten seperates itself from the filament (evaporates), it is highly likely that it will bounce off an atom of argon and be pushed back towards the filament to rejoin the tungsten structure. Because inert gases are normally unreactive with all other elements, it will not create a combustion reaction within the light bulb.

Incandescent light bulbs give off most of their energy in the form of heat-carrying infrared light photons — only about 10 percent of the light produced is in the visible spectrum. This wastes a lot of electricity. Cool light sources, such as fluorescent lamps and LEDs, don’t waste a lot of energy generating heat — they give off mostly visible light. For this reason, they are slowly edging out the old reliable light bulb.

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Whether you are moving just a few items or moving all of your belongings, using the right boxes is an essential part of a successful move. Many people believe that any type of box will be sufficient for packing all of their items, but this is not always the case. Before you begin packing, it is important to consider the following tips to ensure your items are packed in safe and strong boxes:

Quality of Boxes: Every year thousands of shipping boxes end up in landfills. One of the best ways to be mindful of the environment when moving is to acquire used boxes. When you pack your items in used boxes, you are reducing your carbon footprint, reducing the number of boxes going into landfills, and saving trees. Used and recycled boxes are strong, reliable, and durable. Boxes that were constructed for household moving are used by professional moving companies. You will feel better knowing that you are helping to protect the environment.

Small Boxes: These boxes are about 1.5 cubic feet and can hold heavy items such as books, tools, fragile items, and kitchen utensils. They are also great for loose items that are just lying around the home.

Medium Boxes: About the size of a drawer, these boxes are about 3.0 cubic feet and are a good multi-use box. They are great for holding such items as toys, pots and pans, medium size kitchen items, boots and shoes, clothing…etc.

Large Boxes: People tend to use this size for most of their packing needs because they can hold a lot of items. The size of a large box is about 4.5 cubic feet. You should pack large, but light weight items so you can carry the boxes. Such items can include: sheets, blankets, pillows, lamps…etc. The large boxes are great for breakable items. You can use them for metal items, tools and other garage items. It is important to wrap them in padding such as bubble wrap or newspaper.

Extra-Large Boxes: These boxes are normally used for very large but light weight items. You can pack such items as pillows, coats, cushions…etc.

Jumbo Boxes: These boxes are heavy-duty and have a double wall construction for extra safety and durability. These boxes are suitable for large items such as lamps.

Document Boxes: These are the “banker” boxes. They have a cover that fits securely over the box. They are useful for packing important documents. They are easy to carry because they have built in handles.

When packing your moving boxes, it is recommended that you keep the weight at fewer than 50 1bs. Boxes that are made from corrugated cardboard are stronger than regular boxes. They are also better for heavier and fragile items. Moving boxes are tested for durability and strength by a test known as Edge Crush Test (ECT) The ECT is printed on the side of the box flap. Check your boxes for the label. Professional movers use boxes tested for ECT. Long distance moving requires professional moving boxes tested for strength and durability.

Using the right type of boxes and not making them too heavy will ensure that your items will not get crushed or the bottom falls out during the move. Moving boxes come in many sizes, shapes, and weight. Pick the boxes according to your item needs. You can find box companies that will ship directly to your home. If you use a moving company, they usually supply free used boxes. Moving does not have to be a stressful time. A little planning and using the right boxes will make the job much easier.

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