- A bright light is best to use for reading.reading with dad image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
Most people are familiar with watts, the unit of measurement used to describe incandescent light bulbs. A 60-watt or 75-watt incandescent bulb is sufficient for general room lighting. A 100-watt bulb is ideal for reading purposes, while a 40-watt bulb is best for ambient lighting or to highlight a piece of artwork - Long-life incandescent bulgs can last 26 times longer than standard bulbs.living room image by Ritu Jethani from Fotolia.com
Incandescent bulbs give off light by heating a tungsten filament to a very high temperature inside a bulb filled with argon, an inert gas. The difference in watts depends on the length of the tungsten filament. Long-life 60-, 75- and 100-watt incandescent light bulbs can last 20,000 hours, 26 times longer than a standard bulb, because they use a heavier duty tungsten filament that's reinforced with extra wires for stability. Krypton gas, which does a better job reducing heat, is used instead of argon to prolong the filament's life. - Standard incandescent light bulbs are referred to as an "A" shape.light bulb image by Photosani from Fotolia.com
The letter or letters on an incandescent light bulb package indicate the shape of the bulb, and the number describes the approximate diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch. So a light bulb described as a 75PAR30 is 30 eighths of an inch in diameter, or 3.75 inches. Light bulbs we are used to seeing in lamps are described as an "A" shape. Other types are globes and torpedo shapes. - light bulb image by David Ng from Fotolia.com
Frosted, or soft white, bulbs produce a softer light that doesn't irritate your eyes if the bulb is exposed. Standard bulbs are better suited to enclosed light sources. The purpose of colored light bulbs isn't to reduce light, but to diffuse the light.
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