![]() ![]() But the cost of the batteries used to power Staite's lamps also limited their practical applications. In 1848, Englishman William Staite improved the longevity of conventional arc lamps by developing a clockwork mechanism that regulated the movement of the lamps' quick-to-erode carbon rods, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology. In 1840, British scientist Warren de la Rue developed an efficiently designed lightbulb using a coiled platinum filament in place of copper, but the high cost of platinum kept the bulb from becoming a commercial success, according to Interesting Engineering. However in a 2012 lecture for the Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, John Meurig Thomas wrote that Davy’s other experiments with lighting led to both the miners' safety lamp, and also street lighting in Paris "and many other European cities." The principles behind Davy's arc light were used throughout the 1800s in the development of many other electric lamps and bulbs. ![]() ![]() This rudimentary lamp burned out quickly and was much too bright for use in a home or workspace. While Davy's arc lamp was certainly an improvement on Volta's stand-alone piles, it still wasn't a very practical source of lighting. An engraving of Humphry working on an experiment with alkalis (Image credit: Getty / Apic ) ![]()
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