Tall (Long) Light Bulb. When this resistant element carries current (up to the burn-out level), it provides light. Place up to five tall light bulbs (out of sockets) in the simulation window. With the Select tool, you can move and rotate light bulbs, and wire them to other objects. You attach wires to the light bulb's two nodes, which are indicated by the yellow rectangles in Figures 1 and 2.


Fig. 1

Fig. 2

The default resistance of the bulb is 40 ohms, the typical resistance of small light bulbs used in many classroom experiments. A 1.5 volt battery connected to a 40 ohm bulb carries the default standard current (which corresponds to a current number of 1.0 by definition) and powers a bulb brightness of 100. In Schematic View, you can display the brightness and current numbers of bulbs.

A bulb carrying current lights up with yellow shading in Realistic View and with a yellow circle in Schematic View. As the bulb's brightness increases, the yellow shading in Realistic View becomes more intense and the diameter of the yellow circle in Schematic View rises. However, a bulb cannot carry more current than its burn-out current and still function.

You can put light bulbs in sockets and take them out again. You can also just place light bulbs in sockets. There are no differences between light bulbs in and out of sockets (except the socket).

In the bulb's Properties Box, you can reset the resistance to between 1.0 and 100.0 ohms.