When was the first light bulb invented?
Who knows? B) Last year C) Over 100 years ago (Answer: C Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879.) At night, when it gets dark, you flip a switch…and it is light again. No big deal, right? Think again. The energy that powers electric lights comes from the Earth. Being careful about using lights is another way we can help keep our planet healthy. Did you know? • Off all the energy that a light bulb uses, how much do you think actually turns into light? Surprise: Only 1/10! The rest is waste, because it turns into heat instead. That is why a light bulb is so hot after it has been on for a little while. • If a 100-watt bulb is on for half a day, every day, for a year it can use enough electricity to burn almost 400 pounds of coal. Burning the coal to light the bulb will release nearly a thousand pounds of gases, which cause the greenhouse effect, and almost eight pounds of gases that cause acid rain. All that from one light bulb! • There is an amazing light bulb called a compact flu
