What exactly the difference between DC and AC light bulb

Thread Starter

dante_clericuzzio

Joined Mar 28, 2016
246
What exactly the difference between DC and AC light bulb? and how it is made? This is because when i tested 2 volt DC light bulb using 200 volt AC it won't light up but with 2 pieces of AA batteries its just light up like that...so i am curious what is the real difference...and secondly why LED can light both using AC and DC..
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,280
What type of DC and AC light bulb?
I can't imagine how it could survive the application of 200Vac and still work when you applied 3Vdc. :confused:
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
Are you are talking filament lamp.
If you test a 2v lamp on 200v it is now open circuit!
Although they will work on either voltage as long as it is rated for the particular lamp There is a subtle difference, using DC results in more electrons being boiled off on the negative end eroding the filament.
Max.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
That bulb did not survive 200V. The voltage likely came down in response to the load of the bulb. What did you use to supply power to it?

An incandescent bulb like that one will light with current passing in either direction. An LED can only pass current in one direction, so it will be half as bright on AC as on DC, all else equal.
 

Thread Starter

dante_clericuzzio

Joined Mar 28, 2016
246
That bulb did not survive 200V. The voltage likely came down in response to the load of the bulb. What did you use to supply power to it?

An incandescent bulb like that one will light with current passing in either direction. An LED can only pass current in one direction, so it will be half as bright on AC as on DC, all else equal.
I am using Synchronous motor to try lighting up the bulb...when i turn the motor it produces 200++ volts AC but it won't light up that bulb (2.5 volt @0.3amp) i have....but it can light up AC bulb rated 200 volt @ 3 watts...that makes me confuse
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
A 200V, 3W bulb has a current of 3/200 = 0.015A or 15mA and a resistance of 13,333Ω. Your motor is able to drive current into that load.

The flashlight bulb has a resistance of 0.3A/2.5V = 0.12Ω. It would be even lower than that until it heats up. Your generator can't handle the load. You'd find very little voltage across the bulb.

Your problem is impedance mismatch. Like trying to pedal your bike up a hill in the wrong gear. If your motor was wound with lower gauge – thicker – wire, it would generate less voltage but would be more able to power a low impedance load.
 

Thread Starter

dante_clericuzzio

Joined Mar 28, 2016
246
A 200V, 3W bulb has a current of 3/200 = 0.015A or 15mA and a resistance of 13,333Ω. Your motor is able to drive current into that load.

The flashlight bulb has a resistance of 0.3A/2.5V = 0.12Ω. It would be even lower than that until it heats up. Your generator can't handle the load. You'd find very little voltage across the bulb.

Your problem is impedance mismatch. Like trying to pedal your bike up a hill in the wrong gear. If your motor was wound with lower gauge – thicker – wire, it would generate less voltage but would be more able to power a low impedance load.
If i add resistor let say 666 ohm in between to increase the resistance will the bulb light up? do you think
 

DickCappels

Joined Aug 21, 2008
10,153
That's good but incandescent light bulbs are also thermistors.

Be aware that some kinds of filaments sometimes mend themselves when subjected to mechanical shock while voltage is applied. I discovered this while life testing a lot of incandescent lamps. That might possibly account for why the lamp did not work at 200 VAC and then worked again at 2V.

Another possibility is that your 200 VAC is coming through a high impedance so it looked like 200 VAC on your voltmeter bu might have dropped to close to zero (relatively speaking) when the load was applied.
 

Thread Starter

dante_clericuzzio

Joined Mar 28, 2016
246
That's good but incandescent light bulbs are also thermistors.

Be aware that some kinds of filaments sometimes mend themselves when subjected to mechanical shock while voltage is applied. I discovered this while life testing a lot of incandescent lamps. That might possibly account for why the lamp did not work at 200 VAC and then worked again at 2V.

Another possibility is that your 200 VAC is coming through a high impedance so it looked like 200 VAC on your voltmeter bu might have dropped to close to zero (relatively speaking) when the load was applied.
But when load of AC bulb rated 200 VAC @3 watts it light up brightly that is one heck of confusion...why 2.5 volt / 0.3 Amp doesn't work
 
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