Re: Can a light bulb run out of photons?


"Bill Hobba" <rubbish@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:K6QNe.5863$FA3.1849@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Henry Haapalainen" <kirppu@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:de89g9$eod$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> "Bill Hobba" <rubbish@xxxxxxxx> kirjoitti viestissä
>> news:AoANe.5259$FA3.4405@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>> "Henry Haapalainen" <kirppu@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>> news:de5r3r$ncd$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> >
>>> > "Tom Roberts" <tjroberts@xxxxxxxxxx> kirjoitti viestissä
>>> > news:lEtNe.3603$Z%6.2613@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> >> Joatman71 wrote:
>>> >> > I always thought that the energy supplied by the electrical company
>> was
>>> >> > simply used to heat up the light bulb filament which then emitted
>>> >> > light. This is true, but too simple. I never knew that this light
>> was
>>> >> > caused by electrons (in the filament) dropping to lower states. To
>>> >> > continue to emit photons then won't these electrons need to jump
>>> >> > back
>>> >> > to the outer orbital? Is the energy required to make this jump
>>> >> > supplied by the electrical company?
>>> >>
>>> >> In the filament of a light bulb, there are a significant number of
>>> >> electrons not associated with any particular atom, forming the
>> so-called
>>> >> conduction band (which is a "band" of energy states populated by
>>> >> electrons not associated with any particular atom). Materials without
>>> >> such a conduction band are called insulators and are unsuitable for
>>> >> use
>>> >> as a light bulb filament. When a current flows, the heat incuced by
>>> >> the
>>> >> current causes these conduction-band electrons to be excited into
>> higher
>>> >> energy states, which also means the lower-energy states of the
>>> >> conduction band become somewhat depopulated. That gives the
>> upper-energy
>>> >> electrons the ability to transition to a lower-energy state and emit
>>> >> a
>>> >> photon while doing so. Because the states in the conduction band are
>>> >> a
>>> >> continuum in energy, photons of all wavelengths are emitted (rather
>> than
>>> >> the discrete spectrum of the specific atoms themselves). It is
>> necessary
>>> >> for the filament to be heated up to a high enough temperature so that
>>> >> the blackbody spectrum emitted by the conduction-band electrons
>>> >> appears
>>> >> white to the human eye, or at least nearly so.
>>> >>
>>> >> Fluorescent lights work in a completely different way, and neon
>>> >> lights
>>> >> work in still another way.... But none of them can ever "run out of
>>> >> photons" as the photons are always created when they are emitted; the
>>> >> energy required to create them is supplied by the electric company.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Tom Roberts tjroberts@xxxxxxxxxx
>>> >
>>> > The atomic model with electron shells has been a good model for
>> chemists,
>>> > but it does not describe reality. Does somebody really believe it to
>>> > be
>> truth?
>>
>>>> Henry Haapalainen
>>
>>> If you can us what reality is, and have everyone agree, then we may be
>> able
>>> to decide.
>>> As Indiana Jones said in one of his movies - Archeology is the search
>>> for
>>> fact - if you want truth professor so and so's philosophy class is down
>> the
>>> hall. What applies specifically to archeology applies pretty much to
>>> science general And the criteria for scientifically deciding which of
>>> two
>>> theories equally un accord with experiment is a better description of
>>> reality is? BTW science is not concerned with reality (whatever that
>> is) -
>>> not because scientists do not believe in it (they generally do) but
>> because
>>> what it is, if it exists, and even if we can perceive it is a
>> philosophical
>>> issue beyond experimental investigation..
>>>
>>> Bill
>>
>> Bill Hobba, learn to write so that people who read these would be able to
>> know, who is answering to whom. I fixed your mess this time. If somebody
>> needs some arguments from me, I will answer. But I will not answer to
>> Bill
>> Hobba any more, because it would be useless.
>
> Suit yourself.
>
> Bill

BTW I noticed, and I suspect others noticed as well, you avoided the issue I
raised - namely the objective scientific basis for terms like 'reality' and
'truth'. Care to actually comment or can we take it that from now on when
you use such terms we do not have to take you seriously?

Bill

>
>>
>> Henry Haapalainen
>>
>>
>
>


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