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The first electrical light bulb, invented in 1879, was the brainchild of American inventor Thomas Alva Edison.
What material was the earliest electric light bulb filaments made from?
Various materials were tested for this application. Carbon fiber were the first successful filaments to be used commercially. It is most likely that the carbon fibers were graphitic. Graphite can both conduct electricity and withstand extremely high temperatures, as long as oxygen was excluded.
Present day electric bulbs, filled with argon or halogen gases, use tungsten filaments as the heating or lighting element. Metallic tungsten have both of the characteristics mentioned above and also, because of the bulb design, is self-repairing to have longer performance life.
For more information on light bulbs currently in use, please see our module:
Why Does a Light Bulb Burn Out?
