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A lamp with a thick filament will draw more current.

What restricts the current flow in the filament is the resistance of the filament which increases as the temperature of the filament increases. A thin filament requires less energy to get heated up that a thick one so less current to achieve threshold resistance. Also a thick filament provides a broader path for current so there is less resistance per increase in degree centigrade. For these two (closely related but distinct) reasons it will require more current for the filament to get heated up to threshold resistance.

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The lamp with a thick filament will draw more current than a lamp with a thin filament. Thick filament has more surface area to excite and release electrons, so it will require more current.

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Q: Does a lamp with a thick filament draw more current or less current than a lamp with a thin filament?
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What type of light build glows when a filament inside it gets hot?

Electric lamps having incandescent filaments.


If two different wattage lamp connected in series which lamp will glow brighter and why?

I was also searching for the same but according to me the lamps with higher wattage should glow brighter. We know that, P=VI In series connection current is same through all the lamps but voltage across each lamp depends on the wattage of the bulb. So the bulb with higher wattage will draw more voltage and glow brighter.AnswerUnfortunately, the previous answer is incorrect, although it seems* to be the logical answer! The higher-wattage lamp has a lower resistance than the lower-wattage lamp. So, when they are connected in series, the larger voltage drop (IR)will appear across the lower-wattage lamp. As power is proportional to the square of the voltage, it is the lower-wattage lamp that will be the brighter.[*Many people have the mistaken belief that a higher-wattage lamp has a higher resistance than a lower-wattage lamp. That's the wrong way around!]


What graph should you use to represent a lava lamp science experiment?

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What happens if you put a lava lamp in the microwave?

The lamp will explode.


Why does an LED glow even when its switched off?

- Even when a LED lamp is completely disconnected on one side, it can still glow. If the switch is situated between the neutral line of mains and the lamp, there will be a 60Hz voltage difference between the conductive parts of your fixture and the surroundings. These surroundings have a potential (earth) close to the neutral line of your mains supply. There is a small parasitic capacitance between the wires of the lamp and the surroundings. This will conduct a small current. This current will not flow through the return line of your mains, and is not detected by a Watt-O-meter. A LED lamps needs very little current to start emmiting light , a current of 100uA can already be visible in dark conditions. Possible solutions: - Set the switch in the other Phase of mains. - Use a double pole switch and disconnect both phase and neutral. - Attach a small load parallel over the LED lamp. A 100K resistor might do the Job . Warning: Do not modify your electric wiring unless you are both skilled and qualified for this !

Related questions

Does a lamp with a thick filament draw more or less current than a lamp with a thin filament?

A lamp with a thick filament will draw more current. What restricts the current flow in the filament is the resistance of the filament which increases as the temperature of the filament increases. A thin filament requires less energy to get heated up that a thick one so less current to achieve threshold resistance. Also a thick filament provides a broader path for current so there is less resistance per increase in degree centigrade. For these two (closely related but distinct) reasons it will require more current for the filament to get heated up to threshold resistance.


What is the current when a 60W lampis connected to 120v?

Since power is volts time amps, the current in a 60W lamp connected to 120V is 0.5A. Since a lamp is a resistive load, there is no need to consider power factor and phase angle, so that simplifies the explanation. ======================== Assuming this is an incandescent or halogen lamp (using a filament to make the light) there is a trick here: the resistance of a lamp filament varies with temperature and does not follow Ohm's law. The resistance will be much lower, thus the current will be much higher when the filament is cold, when the lamp is first connected. As the filament heats up, the resistance increases until it gets to a steady operating point of 0.5A. For a halogen lamp, the operating temperature is about 2800-3400K, so the R at room temperature is about 16 times lower than when hot... so when connected, the current is about 8A but drops rapidly. The current could be even higher if the lamp is in a cold environment. Non-halogen lamps operate at a lower temperature and would have a lower initial current--about 5A. And this all assumes the lamp is rated for 120V. If it is a 12V/60W lamp, the filament will probably break and create an arc, which may draw a very large current.


Why is the filament inside an electric lamp made very fine?

The filament is fine so that its electrical resistance can be quite high. It is also long, for the same reason. Usually it is coiled up to fit the length in the lamp. The heating effect of electric current is proportional to the current squared, time the resistance (I*I*R). Most of the effect is due to the current. The current through the filament must be limited to stop it melting. Adding resistance will do that. Taking resistance away increases heating. So, a low energy lamp has a very thin filament and a high energy lamp will have a thicker filament.


What is an incandascent lamp?

Your standard light bulb where a filament is heated by a current passing through it. The heated filament then gives off light.


What part of the lamp converts electricity to light?

For a filament-type (incandescent) lamp, it's the filament.


Why does the filament lamp does not follow Ohms Law give any example?

A filament's resistance value varies with temperature. When directly measuring resistance, the filament is off, and at or near room temperature. When the circuit is turned on to measure voltage and current, the filament's temperature will increase and the resistance value will increase. This makes it appear as though Ohm's law is wrong.AnswerThere is no difficulty; your experiment will simply prove that the filament of the lamp doesn't obey Ohm's Law.When you plot the results of current against voltage for a lamp's filament, obtained from your experiment, the result will be a curved line, indicating that the current is notproportional to voltage (due to a changing resistance). This shows that the filament doesn't obey Ohm's Law. To obey Ohm's Law, the result must be a straight-line graph.Although the resistance of the lamp can be found at any point along the curve from the ratio of voltage to current (i.e. R = V/I) at that particular point, the lamp does not obey Ohm's Law. Ohm's Law only applies when the ratio of voltage to current remains constant throughout the experiment.So no difficulty has arisen with your experiment, you have simply proved that Ohm's Law doesn't apply to the lamp filament. Believe your results!!


WhY does a filament lamp get when you us high voltage?

because there is a correlation between resistance and voltage and current. The equation resistance = voltage divided by current shows that the higher the voltage, the bigger the resistance,, and the bigger the resistance the hotter the filament lamp will get because of the electrons bumping into each other which means there is a loss of energy and that energy is being transferred to the filament making the actual filament bulb hot since there is more thermal energy wasted at the end.


Why does a filament lamp get hot when you use high voltage?

because there is a correlation between resistance and voltage and current. The equation resistance = voltage divided by current shows that the higher the voltage, the bigger the resistance,, and the bigger the resistance the hotter the filament lamp will get because of the electrons bumping into each other which means there is a loss of energy and that energy is being transferred to the filament making the actual filament bulb hot since there is more thermal energy wasted at the end.


Is the brightness of a light bulb determined by its filaments?

Though there is a bit more to the story than this, yes, it is generally true that the brightness of a light bulb, sometimes called a lamp, is a function of its filaments. For a given voltage of operation, a less resistive filament will draw more current, run hotter and will glow more brightly (be more incandescent). A heavier, more resistive filament will draw less current, get less hot, and not produce as much light (be less incandescent). The former will run "hotter" as well as brighter, and the filament won't last as long, though it will be more efficient. The latter will not be quite as bright or as efficient, but the filament will have a longer operating life, and will probably be more shock resistant. Lamp filaments are usually made of tungsten, and these filaments are coiled to reduce evaporation of the metal when that metal is white hot. There is a "balance" engineered into the lamp to make it run "hotter" and more brightly to be more efficient, yet limit current somewhat, limit filament evaporation and extend the life of the lamp. Eventually, enough of the filament evaporates away in normal operation to create a "hot spot" that quickly degrades, and the filament fails. A link can be found below to learn more.


How much current will the lamp draw from the main line if a lamp is rated 40W and 220V?

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What is nonlinear resistance?

A nonlinear resistance is a resistance which is different for different voltages ie current is not proportional to voltage. An example of this is the filament of an incandescent lamp.


How does electric lamp function using electricity?

You plug it in and it lights up. Current flowing in the filament makes it white hot, and it emits light.