MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Subject: When trying the 'Plasma Light bulb' exp, I had ODD results...

Date: Tue Mar 27 10:03:26 2001
Posted by David
Grade level: 10-12 School: None
City: Farmington State/Province: No state entered. Country: USA
Area of science: Physics
ID: 985705406.Ph
Message:

For backround, the Plasma Light Bulb exp. is when an incondescent light bulb is 
placed into a microwave, with a cup of water. When the microwave is started, 
streams of plasma  move from the filliment to the outer edges of the glass bulb.

 I did this many times before, and got the same result.

 Once, and only once, I went through the same prosedure, but when the microwave 
was started, the bulb created plasma for only a few seconds. Than suddenly, the 
plasma dissapeared, and a pinkish-blue light came from the bulb... it came 
increasingly brighter, and pinker... untill the light being produced was SO very 
bright, I couldn't look at the microwave without shielding my eyes.... I stoped 
the microwave after about 30 seconds after the light had gotten to it's 
brightest point... the lightbulb had a "wart", or a bubble of glass, where it 
appears the glass on that portion of the bulb was melting, something must have 
been pushing outward (I dont think its pressure, because from my understanding, 
incondesent lightbulbs contain less of an atmosphere than 1) The mircowave 
worked fine after the expirement, and still does to this day.

 Any idea on what happend? I asked teachers, and tried it with them as well, but 
I couldn't reproduce the same result... They were stumped as well as to what 
accoured.

 Thanks
David S.


Re: When trying the 'Plasma Light bulb' exp, I had ODD results...

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