Light Bulb. When this resistive element carries current, it provides light. Place up to five light bulbs (in sockets) in the simulation window. With the Select tool, you can move and rotate light bulbs, and wire them to other objects. You attach wires to the light bulb's two nodes, which are indicated by the yellow rectangles in Figures 1 and 2. This element has an alternative view. |
Fig. 1 | Fig. 2
In the bulb's Properties Box, you can choose the bulb's resistance type. You can choose either a model of a real bulb's voltage-current behavior or choose an ideal (ohmic) model. If you choose the latter, click Apply. Then you can set the resistance to between 1.0 and 100.0 ohms. The default resistance of the real bulb is about 58 ohms, the typical resistance of the small flashlight bulbs used in many classroom experiments. If you apply more than 6 volts across a real bulb, the bulb burns out and cannot be used again. This corresponds to a current of 102.5 mA. If the current running through an ideal bulb exceeds about 600 mA, the ideal bulb will also burn out. A 1.5 volt battery connected to a 40 ohm bulb carries the default standard current.