another silly lighting q

[scarf_ace1981]

this is probably the dumbest question posted this year but i'm very interested in finding out what makes a bulb a 175w, 250w, 400w, etc?

 

[Harif87]

this might be a stupid answer but... i think its all the ballast and the bulb it just made to withstand 175,250,400 watts.

 

[jhale]

Jon I'm not sure what your asking.

The difference between a 150 watt mh bulb and a 400 watt bulb is the amount of energy/power it takes to run it. I'm sure there's a more complicated answer but that's how I always thought of it.
more watts = more power = more par = more light = more(faster?) photosynthesis = more growth

 

[jawwad2004]

J, your equation makes me wanna upgrade to a 400w lighting scheme

 

[scarf_ace1981]

i understand that the ballast powers the bulb and that more watts= more energy=more par= yada yada...but what inside the bulb makes it a certain wattage?

 

[MightyMike]

I thought this was a measure of energy running through, for example, the filament in an incandescent bulb. So, like the coils of an electric stove-top, when the energy heats that tiny wire, it glows. The various levels of wattage, I'm assuming, cause the wire (or filament or whatever) to glow at a different intensity. I'm oversimplifying, but this was how I understood it ... maybe I'm off ...feeling dim ...

 

[Harif87]

I think its thicker coils to prevent it from burning out (with halides) and with flourescent its just more mercury and powder phosphate (i think)

 

[scarf_ace1981]

mightymike now we are getting closer.

thanks harif that was what i was looking for.

 

[nanchil]

http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/mwmhl/work.asp

mightymike now we are getting closer.

thanks harif that was what i was looking for.

 

[digitalreefer]

Ohm's Law states that:
Watts=Volts/Ohms

Try this with a small LED... hook it up to a 9 volt battery alone and it will burn out, use a 330 Ohm resistor and it will shine for years. If you use a 10k Ohm resistor, the bulb will light up, but will be dim.

Basically, the bulb needs to be built in a fashion that allows the proper amount of voltage/resistance to produce the desired wattage.