Characteristics of Incandescent Lamps
as a Function of Various Voltages

Table of Contents

Amps, lumens and color temp. of 120V 100 watt 750 hour A19 lamp
Amps at various voltages of 120V 25 watt 2500 hour A19 lamp (gas filled)
Amps at various voltages of 120V 25 watt 750 hour T10 lamp (vacuum)
Explanation of how data was obtrained

Lamp:  100 watt A19, 120V, clear, Sylvania, filament CC-8, lamp vertical
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volts      .5    1    1.5   2    3   4.5   6    9   12   15   18   24   30   36   42   48   60   72   84   96   108  120  132   144   160

Amps      .047 .083  .108 .126 .152 .177 .196 .227 .254 .280 .304 .350 .394 .433 .470 .505 .571 .631 .688 .740 .788 .834 .878  .921  .976-.980(?)

% Volts  .4167 .8333 1.25 1.667 2.5  3.75  5   7.5  10  12.5  15   20   25   30   35   40   50   60   70   80    90  100  110   120  133.3

% Amps   5.63  9.95 12.95 15.1 18.2 21.2 23.5 27.2 30.5 33.6 36.5 42.0 47.2 51.9 56.4 60.6 68.5 75.7 82.5 88.7 94.5  100 105.3 110.4 117-117.5(?)

log(i/I)/ .525 .482  .466 .461 .462 .472 .483 .502 .516 .525 .532 .539 .541 .544 .546 .547 .547 .546 .540 .536 .538  --- .539  .544  .546-.561(?)
log(v/120)

color temp. K                            ~785 ~965 1115 1235 1345 1525 1665 1795 1905 2010 2190 2350 2490 2625 2750 2865 2975  3075  3190-3200(?)

log(ct/CT)/                              .435 .420 .410 .404 .398 .392 .391 .389 .388 .387 .388 .388 .393 ~.39 ~.39 ---- ~.39  .388  .374-.385(?)
log(v/120)
                                            ~1-1.1E-4
lumens (approximately!)               ~4-5 E-7    ~.003 ~.024~.11 ~.9  ~3.6  10   24   46  125  270  485  800  1220 1750 2400  3140  4200-4300(?)

log(lu/LU)/                           7.3-7.4  6.4  5.8  5.4  5.1  4.7  4.5  4.3  4.1  4.0 3.8  3.7  3.6  3.5  ~3.4  --- ~3.3  ~3.2   ~3.1(?)
log(v/120)

Lamp:  25 watt A19, 120V, clear, GE, filament CC-6, lamp vertical
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volts      .5    1    1.5    2    3    4.5   6     9   12    15   18   24    30    36   42   48   60    72    84    96  108   120   132   144    160

Amps      .011 .0205 .0285 .035 .0455 .056 .0635 .073 .0795 .085 .090 .0995 .1075 .116 .124 .131 .146 .1595 .1725 .1845 .1955 .2065 .217 .2275   .240

% Volts  .4167 .8333 1.25  1.667 2.5  3.75   5    7.5  10   12.5  15   20    25    30   35   40   50    60    70    80   90   100   110   120    133.3

% Amps   5.33  9.93  13.8 16.95 22.0  27.1 30.75 35.35 38.5 41.1 43.6 48.2  52.1  56.2 60.0 63.4  70.7 77.2  83.5  89.3  94.7  100  105.1 110.2  116.2

log(i/I)/ .535 .482  .452 .434 .410  .398  .394  .401 .415 .428 .438  .453  .470  .479 .487 .497 .500  .507  .51  .51  .51-.52 ---  .52  .52-.53 .52-.53
log(v/120)

color temp. K                                                                                                                 2550

Lumens (approximately!)                                                                                                        210


Lamp:  25 watt T10, 120V, clear, GE, filament C-8, lamp vertical
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volts      .5    1    1.5   2    3   4.5   6     9    12   15   18   24    30    36    42    48   60    72    84    96   108  120   132   144   160

Amps      .008 .012  .015 .018 .023 .029 .0345 .0445 .053 .061 .068 .0815 .0935 .1045 .1145 .124 .1425 .1585 .1735 .188 .201 .214  .226  .238  .252

% Volts  .4167 .8333 1.25 1.667 2.5  3.75  5    7.5   10  12.5  15   20    25    30    35    40   50    60    70    80    90  100   110   120  133.3

% Amps    3.74  5.61 7.00 8.41 10.75 13.6 16.1  20.8 24.8 28.5 31.8  38.1  43.7  48.8  53.5 57.9  66.6  74.1  81.1  87.9 93.9 100  105.6 111.2 117.8

log(i/I)/ .600 .602  .607 .605 .605 .608 .610  .606  .605 .604 .604 .600  .597  .596  .596  .596 .586  .587  .587 ~.58 .58-.59 --- ~.58   .58  .57
log(v/120)

color temp. K                                                                                                                 2550

Lumens (approximately!)                                                                                                        260

Explanations of How Color Temp. and Lumen Data Were Determined:

Color temperature:

This was done with the "Properties of Tungsten" table in the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", published by the Chemical Rubber Publishing Co.

In addition, plenty of interpolation was done.

Color temperature at full voltage for 100 watt 120V 750 hour A19 was assumed to be 2865 K because web searching into this matter got more hits and from sources that I considered more credible than other figures such as 2850, 2860 and 2870 K. Sources claiming 2865 K include Kodak.
Color temperature of coiled-coil filament in gas-filled bulb was assumed to be halfway between the actual temperature and the color of a straight tungsten wire in vacuum at the same actual temperature according to the table.
Actual temperature at voltages other than full voltage were worked from filament resistance as a function of actual temperature according to the above "Properties of Tungsten" table.
Color temperature of other lamps at full voltage largely come from color matching them to a 100 watt 120V A19 that is powered by an adjustable voltage power supply and use of my data for the above 100 watt lamp.

It is to be noted that the temperature is not completely uniform throughout the filament. It is also to be noted that the temperature profile of the filament varies with temperature since heat loss from radiation and conduction vary differently with temperature. As a result, color temperature and lumen figures are only roughly approximate, especially at more extreme voltages.

Lumens:

Color temperature was plugged into a homebrew BASIC program that has the blackbody function and the photopic function. "Color emissivity" (ratio of brightness of a given incandescent surface to a blackbody surface at the same color temperature) for a coiled-coil filament in a gas-filled bulb was assumed to be the square root of that shown in the "Properties of Tungsten" table for a straight wire in vacuum, for a given actual temperature. Color emissivity varies slightly inversely with temperature. This permits working of lumens at various filament temperature given color and assumed actual temperature and manufacturer's stated lumens at full voltage.
Brightness according to the brightness column in the "Properties of Tungsten" table varies even slightly more drastically with temperature than according to my homebrew BASIC program.


Copyright (C) 2006 Donald L. Klipstein (Jr.)

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