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Oil Lamps
Ami Argand, a Swiss chemist is credited with first developing the principle of using an oil lamp with a hollow circular wick surrounded by a glass chimney in 1783. -
Lighting Fuels
Early lighting fuels consisted of olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil, nut oil, and similar substances. These were the most commonly used fuels until the late 18th century. However, the ancient Chinese collected natural gas in skins that were used for illumination. -
Electric Arc Lamps
Sir Humphrey Davy of England invented the first electric carbon arc lamp in 1801. A carbon arc lamp works by hooking two carbon rods to a source of electricity. With the other ends of the rods spaced at the right distance, electrical current will flow through an "arc" of vaporizing carbon creating an intense white light. -
First Electric Incandescent Lamps
Incandescent light bulbs work in this way: electricity flows through the filament that is inside the bulb; the filament has resistance to the electricity; the resistance makes the filament heat to a high temperature; the heated filament then radiates light. All incandescent lamps work by using a physical filament.