Edison began experiments to reform the arc lamp in 1877, proposing to divide the current and convert the arc lamp into a white light lamp. This test needs to be done satisfactorily. A filament must be made of a substance that burns white hot.
This kind of filament must withstand burning at a temperature of 2,000 degrees for more than 1,000 hours. At the same time, it should be simple to use, able to withstand the bumps and bumps of daily use, low in price, and the turning on and off of one lamp should not affect the turning on and off of any other lamp.
Maintain the relative independence of each lamp in order to choose this lamp. This was a very bold idea at the time and required great efforts to explore and test. As a material for silk, Edison first experimented with carbonized substances.
After the failure, they used platinum metal and iridium high-melting point alloy to do filament tests, and also tried 1,600 different tests on high-quality ores and ore seedlings, all of which failed. But by then he and his assistants had made great progress.
It is known that the incandescent filament must be sealed in a highly vacuumed glass ball to prevent it from melting. In this way, his experiments returned to carbon filaments. He used it day and night until the first half of 1880, but Edison's incandescent lamp experiment still had no results.
One day, he tore a piece of bamboo silk tied around a banana fan in the laboratory into thin filaments, and devoted all his energy to carbonization. There were more than 6,000 carbonization experiments on plants alone. . He has more than 200 experimental notebooks, totaling more than 40,000 pages.
Three years have passed. He works eighteen or nineteen hours a day. At three or four o'clock every morning, he would sleep under the experimental table with two or three books on his head. Sometimes he slept on the stool three or four times a day, for just half an hour each time.
By the first half of 1880, Edison's incandescent lamp experiment still had no results, and even his assistants were discouraged. One day, he took a bamboo silk tied to the edge of a banana fan in the laboratory, tore it into filaments, and then carbonized it to make a filament.
The results this time were better than those of previous experiments. This was the first incandescent electric lamp invented by Edison - the bamboo filament electric lamp. This bamboo filament electric lamp continued for many years. It was not replaced until 1908 when tungsten filament was invented.
The alkaline storage battery that Edison began to develop after this was very difficult, and his research spirit was even more amazing. This kind of battery is used to provide motive power. He and a select assistant worked painstakingly on it for nearly a decade.
After experiencing many hardships and failures, for a while he thought he had reached his destination, but for a while he knew he was wrong. But Edison never wavered and started over. After about 50,000 tests and more than 150 test notes, the goal was achieved.
Extended information:
Other stories about Edison:
1. Edison hatched chicks
When Edison was a child, he always liked to ask this and that. , "What is this?" "Why is that?" He is a child who loves to use his brain. When Edison was five years old, one day he saw the hen at home staying in the nest.
I tried to chase it away by screaming, but the hen tilted her head, blinked, and didn't move. What's going on? Edison picked up the hen and took a look, oh, there are a bunch of eggs in the nest. Count, there are more than ten eggs.
Strange, did the hen lay so many eggs today? He jumped up and down and ran to ask his mother. "Mom, Mom, the hen laid more than a dozen eggs today. What's going on?" "The hen is not laying eggs, but she is afraid that the eggs will frighten her."
Mom held Edison in her arms He said, "Mom, holding you, don't you feel much warmer?" Edison felt even more strange, and asked with wide eyes: "Mom, eggs are just like us, can they catch cold?"
Mom laughed and told Edison that the hen was hatching eggs. The hen covers the egg with her own body, and the egg becomes warm. A chick will grow out of the egg, with a small beak, feet, and feathers. Later, the chick will grow up and be cute.
Pecked open the eggshell, chirping, chirping, and got out of the eggshell.
After listening to his mother's words, Edison ran away. Where did Edison go? An hour passed, and another hour passed. Mom didn't see Edison, and she was so anxious.
Looking around, ah, it turned out that Edison ran to a neighbor's house. He made a nest with firewood and put many eggs in it. He imitated the appearance of a hen and was squatting on the eggs. Hatching eggs! He thought: If the hen squats on the eggs, chicks will hatch.
If I squat on an egg, I will definitely be able to hatch a chick. Mom was really amused when she saw Edison's stupidity. She pulled Edison up and said, "Let's go, silly boy. You can't hatch chicks."
Edison pouted and said: "Mom, hens can hatch chicks, why can't I hatch them?" Children, please think about it, if Edison squatted on the eggs, could he hatch chicks?
2 , Edison's concept of time
"Life is too short. Think of more ways to do more things with less time." "Waste, the biggest waste is wasting time." Edison often Talk to your assistant. "Life is too short, you have to think of more ways to do more things with less time."
One day, Edison was working in the laboratory, and he handed his assistant an empty lamp without a lamp. Glass bulb, said: "You measure the capacity of the bulb." He lowered his head to work again.
After a long time, he asked: "What's the capacity?" He didn't hear the answer. He turned around and saw the assistant holding a soft ruler to measure the circumference and slope of the light bulb, and took the measured number. He leaned over the table and calculated. He said: "Time, time, why does it take so much time?"
Edison came over, picked up the empty light bulb, filled it with water, handed it to his assistant, and said: "Put the inside in Pour the water into the measuring cup and tell me its capacity immediately." The assistant immediately read the number. Edison said: "This is such an easy measurement method.
It is accurate and saves time. How could you not think of it? If you still calculate it, wouldn't it be a waste of time?" The assistant blushed. . Edison murmured: "Life is too short, too short. Save time and do more things!"
Baidu Encyclopedia - Edison