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Menu For Technical Reference SectionWe had a discussion in the Electrical Theory area some time ago, which covered connecting several Incandescent Lamps in Series.
As I remember, there were at least 3 Lamps - each rated for 120VAC, connected in Series.
One Lamp was a lower wattage than the other two - something like One (1) 60 Watt Lamp, in Series with Two (2) 100 Watt Lamps.
The System Voltage used to drive the Lamps was 120VAC.
The preliminary query was why the lower wattage Lamp was brighter than the other two higher wattage Lamps.
The discussion covered basic Ohms Law, which described the reason for the lower wattage Lamp's higher intensity was due to that Lamp's higer Resistance (or since the supply was AC, more correct term would be higher Impedance) - and therefore the 60 Watt Lamp's Filament had a higher Voltage across it.
Since it carried the sum total current of all three Lamps, and had a higher Voltage across it, the highest level of Wattage was transduced in the Lamp with the lower wattage rating - therefore making it the brighter Lamp.
That is the key factor here: the Lamp with the higher Resistance (or Impedance in this case), has the highest Voltage measured across it, and therefore will draw the most Wattage from the Power Supply.
From this example, it should be easy to see why the smaller loads (read most crucial and $$$ loads) lose smoke when an "Open Neutral" situation takes place.
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In your last reply, you mention that all three Lamps are the same wattage and rated Voltage, yet one is brighter than the other two.
This would mean the one brighter Lamp:
* 1: Might be connected in Parallel,
* 2: Might be of a different rating (wattage and or voltage),
or
* 3: Might have an initially higher Cold Resistance than the other Lamps.
If they are all the same types, and connected in Series, they should all be the same intensity (brightness).
Are they all clear, or is the brighter Lamp clear?
Any of the Lamps Frosted? (non-clear)
Try running the Lamps separately - across 120VAC, and see if the brightness is uniform or not.
If uniform brightness is experienced in the separation test - AND your Series test circuit IS connected correctly in Series, time to look for a good excorcist!!!
Else, adjust accordingly - finding at least Three (3) Lamps with uniform intensity, and verify the test circuit is indeed connected in basic Series fashion - as described below:
*** One side of the 120VAC circuit connects directly to one side of the "first" lamp;
* The other side of the "first lamp" connects directly to one side of the "second" lamp;
* The other side of the "second" lamp connects directly to one side of the "third" lamp;
*** The other side of the "third" lamp connects directly to the other side of the 120VAC circuit.
Basic, Crude ASCII Schematic below:
(120Va)......_(L1)_......_(L2)_......_(L3)_......(120Vn)
Key:
(120Va) = 120VAC Circuit - Ungrounded Conductor
(120Vn) = 120VAC Circuit - Grounded "Neutral" Conductor
...... = Circuit Conductors between Lamps
_(L1)_ = Lamp # 1
_(L2)_ = Lamp # 2
_(L3)_ = Lamp # 3
Please let us know of the outcome
Scott
edited for spelling