The Many Types Of Light Available Today

The Many Types Of Light Available Today

What's in a light bulb? For most people, an incandescent light bulb comes to mind when discussing "light". The incandescent light bulb has traditionally provided homes with light into the wee hours of the night. Most incandescent bulbs produce life for 750 hours. Not bad for some filament and a glass dome.

As times have changed so too have consumers needs for different types of light. Fortunately researchers have kept up with the demand, creating many different types of bulb to suit almost anyone's needs. Think you need only a traditional light bulb? Think again. Once you discover the endless possibilities, you may change your mind.

New Discoveries in Incandescence

Today consumers can choose from many specialized forms of light bulb. Depending on your needs you will find one that suits you. Here are some of the more common light bulbs available today:

  • Full spectrum light bulbs - These light bulbs produce specialized light called "white light". They may help relieve disorders resulting from inadequate exposure the sunlight. Most produce light at an intensity equal to outdoor daylight.
  • Automotive LED bulbs - Automotive bulbs are specialized bulbs often used in automobiles. These light are the small lights you might see when you turn your signal on in your car.
  • Compact fluorescent light bulbs - Compact bulbs produce a softer light than incandescent bulbs. They also use less electricity and last much longer than standard light bulbs.
  • Halogen light bulbs - Halogen bulbs are expensive but provide more light than traditional bulbs and last much longer. They are good for household lighting needs.
  • Projector light bulbs - Wouldn't you know it, there is a specialty light bulb for everything. These bulbs are of course, for use in projectors.
  • Tanning bed bulbs - Of course tanning bulbs produce ultraviolet rays to help tan the skin. Most beds need up to 30 tanning bulbs.
  • Specialty light bulbs - These include all light bulbs in any category not listed above.

Don't think for a minute however that these choices are the only when it comes to light. There is virtually a light bulb to meet anyone and everyone's needs available on the market today.

Choosing The Right Bulb

If you want a long lasting light for your house, consider the halogen bulb. These bulbs have gained in popularity in recent years. Some people however, prefer fluorescent bulbs. Over time, one can't argue that fluorescent bulbs are more energy efficient than most other bulbs combined. That's why so many offices use them.

Another category mentioned above rapidly gaining popularity are full spectrum light bulbs. These light bulbs are not cheap. However, there are many perks. People often buy these light bulbs to relieve depression, seasonal affective disorder, jet lag and fatigue. Full spectrum light bulbs almost qualify as therapy. In fact, you may even be able to argue with your insurance company to pay for them. (If you can get your doctor to prescribe some full spectrum light for you). These are a good choice if you plan on creating a mini oasis in your home, with light intensity matching that of the sun. Keep in mind however, they are pricey. Many feel the price however, is well worth the investment.

Cheap light bulbs abound however. Cheap light bulbs (the incandescent type) are good for producing an average amount and quality of light. You can buy replacements for these easily and inexpensively. While not durable, they are easy to use and still the most popular choice among consumers today. Let's not forget their many benefits. They are inexpensive, easy to use, run using low voltage, can be battery operated AND come in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes. You really can't beat that when it comes to light bulb value!

So take a moment to review the many bulbs now available on the market. Why not try something new? You may find yourself pleasantly surprised!

About The Author:
Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as projector light bulbs, specialty light bulbs, and discount light bulbs.

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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)AP - Most Americans sorely knew it already, but now it's official: The country is in a recession, and it's getting worse. Wall Street convulsed at the news — and a fresh batch of bad economic reports — tanking nearly 680 points. With the economic pain likely to stretch well into 2009, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday he stands ready to lower interest rates yet again and to explore other rescue or revival measures.



President-elect Barack Obama, left, stands with Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., center, and National Security Adviser-designate Ret. Marine Gen. James Jones, right, at a news conference in Chicago, Dec. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)AP - Barack Obama announced a national security team Monday headed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who fought him long and bitterly for the presidency, and Robert Gates, the man who has been running two wars for George W. Bush — striking choices by a president-elect who declared he wanted "strong personalities and strong opinions."



President George W. Bush speaks as he participates in the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008, at the Newseum in Washington.  (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)AP - President George W. Bush says history will judge him, but he is getting his own crack first. Bush is using his final 50 days in office to tout his legacy, hoping to leave a lasting impression of overshadowed progress. On Monday, World AIDS Day, Bush was heralded for his leadership in fighting the disease, a point that even his Democratic critics readily concede.



This undated file photo provided by the Illinois Department of Corrections shows Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law William Balfour. Balfour has been arrested Monday, Dec. 1, 2008 in Illinois in the deaths of the singer's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. (AP Photo/Illinois Department of Corrections)AP - Police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson on Monday in the deaths of the entertainer's mother, brother and young nephew, taking him from a prison where he had been held on a suspected parole violation.



Tape covers bullet holes in the windows of the newly-reopened Refresh Cafe in the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, in Mumbai, India, Monday Dec. 1, 2008.  This scarred and traumatized city struggled back to its feet Monday, reopening schools and businesses, as residents tried to come to terms with the string of terror attacks that brought bloodshed to the heart of Mumbai. The owner of the cafe said he had little choice but to reopen the fast food restaurant in the station, even though its glass wall is scarred with bullet holes, half his staff refused to come back and his brother is on a ventilator in the intensive care unit after being shot in the abdomen by the attackers. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)AP - India demanded Monday that Pakistan take "strong action" against those behind the deadly Mumbai attacks, and Washington pressured Islamabad to cooperate with the investigation.



Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, center, speaks to a crowd during a campaign stop for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008 in Savannah, Ga. Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin are  in a Tuesday runoff that will shape Democrats' hold on power in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin urged Georgia voters to back Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Tuesday's runoff in an election eve appeal that underscored her popularity within the Republican Party and the GOP's efforts to stave off erosion of its shrinking Senate numbers.



In this photo released by KATV Television, news anchor Anne Pressly, is shown in a June 26, 2008, photo in Little Rock, Ark.  Pressly died Oct. 25, 2008 as a result of an Oct. 20 attack, and Little Rock Police named a suspect in the case Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/KATV Television)AP - A television anchorwoman killed in her home had been sexually assaulted and beaten so badly in a suspected burglary that her jaw shattered and she broke a hand while trying to fend off her attacker's blows, her parents said Monday.



AP - Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind.

AP - A man who rammed his truck into a woman's vehicle on a highway early Friday told authorities he crashed into her while going more than 100 mph because God told him "she needed to be taken off the road."

New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, left, leaves the courthouse with  his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, in New York, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. Burress appeared in court on weapons possession charges. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP - Taken to court in handcuffs, Plaxico Burress posted $100,000 bail on weapons possession charges Monday as a frenzy grew around the case of the Giants star receiver who accidentally shot himself in a nightclub.



Senator Hillary Clinton speaks to the media after being announced by President-elect Barack Obama as his choice for Secretary of State along with General Jim Jones as his choice for National Security Advisor during a news conference in Chicago, December 1, 2008. (Jeff Haynes/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama named former rival Hillary Clinton as secretary of state on Monday and said Robert Gates would remain defense secretary in a national security team charged with recasting America's leadership role in the world.



Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, December 1, 2008. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)Reuters - Stocks tumbled on Monday as signs of a deepening economic slump around the world erased much of last week's sharp gains, with banks and retailers among Wall Street's biggest casualties.



Members of ZAKA, Israel's non-governmental rescue-and-recovery organization which specializes in collecting human remains to ensure a proper Jewish burial, speak with policemen after performing religious rituals in front of Nariman House in Mumbai's Colaba area, December 1, 2008. (Jayanta Shaw/Reuters)Reuters - India demanded Pakistan take decisive action over deadly attacks in Mumbai it said were carried out by militants from its nuclear-armed rival, while the West urged cooperation to ease tension.



President Bush and first lady Laura Bush walk to make a statement on the attacks in Mumbai on the South Lawn of the White House, November 29, 2008. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters)Reuters - President George W. Bush said the biggest regret of his presidency was flawed intelligence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and told ABC "World News" in an interview airing on Monday that he was unprepared for war when he took office.



A woman watches as people shop in the Time's Square Toys 'R' Us store on 'Black Friday' in New York, November 28, 2008. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)Reuters - The U.S. economy has been in a recession for a year, the nation's business cycle arbiter declared on Monday, while European leaders vowed to step up public spending to try to cushion a deepening downturn.



Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol in Washington November 21, 2008. (Molly Riley/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met leading governors on Monday to discuss the size and shape of an economic stimulus package that one Democratic aide said was likely to cost around $500 billion.



Birmingham Mayor Larry P. Langford in an undated photo. (Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Federal authorities arrested the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, on Monday in a corruption probe surrounding a sewer bond debt that could lead to the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.



An anti-government demonstrator chases after a suspected pro-government supporter in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on December 1, 2008. (Kerek Wongsa =/Reuters)Reuters - Thai protesters prepared to end their three-month occupation of the Prime Minister's office on Monday to consolidate their grip on the main airport ahead of a court verdict that could dissolve the elected government.



Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for homeland security chief, speaks at a press conference at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Obama on Monday nominated Hillary Clinton to be his AFP - Barack Obama on Monday nominated Hillary Clinton to be his "tough," "smart" secretary of state as his former foe vowed to give her all to steer America through a storm of international crises.



Map locating the attacks in Mumbai. India has formally accused AFP - India on Monday formally accused "elements" in Pakistan of being behind the devastating Islamic militant attacks in Mumbai and demanded that Islamabad take "strong action".




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