Watt a Bright Idea

Overview

Objectives/Goals Over the years, I have become more and more aware of Earth's dwindling natural resources. Electricity is one of the most popular ways of consuming these resourses. I wanted to find out what kind of light bulb technology is the most efficient way of converting electricity to light. Methods/Materials I built a circuit to power LED, Incandescent and CFL light bulbs. I tested over 10 different bulbs with different power ratings of 60W, 75W and 100W. I measured current, decipated heat and light emission of each bulb. Material: Three each of: 60, 75, 100W Incandescent light bulbs; Three each of: 60, 75, 100W equivalent CFL; One 75W equivalent LED; One 60W equivalent LED; One light bulb 100W equivalent LED; Lab Quest Mini light meter; Lab Quest Mini thermometer; Two multi-meters (Current and Voltage); PC (e.g. Laptop) Camera; Sunglasses. Circuit materials: Wires, light socket, switch, wire holder, cover, wooden board approximately 15x20x3/4 inches. Results The results of this experiment were as expected. The LEDs emitted the most amount of light, while giving off little heat, for the same amount energy input. Conclusions/Discussion The LEDs were the most efficient, but not necessarily the coolest. They were about the same temperature as the CFLs, however they produced more light. With this experiment, I hope to make better choices in purchasing light bulbs. I also hope to help other people to think twice before they get a less efficient bulb. If many people around the world buy eco-friendly, energy efficient light bulbs, then, together, we can make a huge difference in preserving our environment.

Competition history

• CSEF 2012 Product Science (Physical) (Junior Division Only) · Entry J2120

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.

Browse more like this

• All Physical Sciences projects
• CSEF Physical Sciences projects
• Every CSEF 2012 project