When a bulb burns out most people simply grab whatever spare lightbulb is available.
Does voltage matter for light bulbs.
Let s say you have a 120 watt light bulb plugged into a wall socket.
This is the default voltage for most lighting fixtures.
When it goes about light bulbs wattage determines its.
Understanding voltage amps watts.
It determines amount of mechanical thermal or electrical power.
This is the default voltage for most lighting fixtures.
This thin wire resists the flow of electrons.
However as a trade off the bulb is also slightly dimmer and has a lower more yellow color temperature.
The watts it will draw will be printed somewhere on the package.
Think of a garden hose.
You can calculate the resistance of the wire with the resistance equation.
If you look at a store display of light bulbs you ll see dozens of shapes sizes and colors.
Does wattage matter for light bulbs.
We did it for decades focusing on this measure of electrical flow.
For example a 12 volt malibu light bulb would immediately burn out if you applied 120 volts to it.
The 60 watt equivalent bright from the start cfl light bulb from ge for example uses exactly 15.
The most common voltage for electric light bulbs is 120 volts 120v.
The filament of a light bulb is an extremely thin wire.
As a result the bulb burns cooler uses less energy watts and lasts longer.
And a 120 volt bulb wouldn t even light up with 12 volts applied to it.
For most cfl bulbs the actual power draw is about 25 percent of the equivalent incandescent bulb.
However if you can you.
You won t generally have much choice in the voltage as it ll be supplied by whatever voltage your system runs at.
Choosing the correct voltage is crucial for the bulb operation.
We are used to buying bulbs taking into account their wattage.
Almost all of them will have a printed description about the voltage and wattage of each particular bulb.
Does voltage matter for light bulbs.
The newer bulbs aren t marked in watts as the electrical ballast in them drastically alters what they run at.
The voltage is 120 volts and a 120 watt bulb has 1 amp flowing through it.
Watt is a basic unit.
The wattage is how much power the bulb uses to operate and is basically an indication of how bright it will be.
However some lighting fixtures are low voltage.
If the old lightbulb was a little too dim they might opt for a higher wattage bulb to improve the illumination.
There is potential danger here however because light fixtures carry a maximum wattage rating and if bulbs are installed that exceed this rating there is the potential for overheating the fixture.
If the bulb isn t an incandescent bulb it won t draw 60 watts.
