Flashlight facts for kids
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A flashlight (in North American English) or torch (in most Commonwealth countries) is a small, portable spotlight. Its function is a beam of light which helps to see. It usually requires batteries.
The light is made by a small light bulb. In the 20th century, it was usually an incandescent bulb. Nowadays most use LEDs, which work slightly differently. In 1896, the first dry cell battery was invented. Unlike previous batteries, it used a paste electrolyte instead of a liquid. This was the first battery suitable for portable electrical devices, as it did not spill or break easily and worked in any orientation. Sometimes the electricity comes from a small generator instead of a battery.
The torch can also refer to a flammable stick that is lit on fire to provide light and heat.
Origin
Hundreds of years ago, people used candles for all indoor light. This was expensive, and once the candle was gone, you would have to buy or make a new one or be stuck in the dark. When electricity was discovered and the light bulb was invented, David Misell, a British man working in Hubert's New York shop in 1898, came up with the idea of a light bulb that you could take with you, anywhere you wanted to go. Then, the torch was invented. The first flashlight has three D batteries which powered a small incandescent bulb. The bulbs would glow with a simple ON/OFF switch.
Images for kids
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A set of LED flashlights
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The angle-head flashlight on the left uses an incandescent bulb, while the adjustable angle-head flashlight on the right uses LEDs to give white, red, blue, and infrared light
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Miniature incandescent bulbs for use in flashlights: The tungsten filament bulb was essential to turn the flashlight from a novelty to a useful tool.
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Multiple 5 mm LEDs may be used in small flashlights.
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A medical halogen penlight to observe pupillary light reflex
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An LED headlamp
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Nonincendive flashlight for use when inspecting areas full of flammable gas
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One style of diver's lamp
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Inspection light with flexible gooseneck mounting for lamp
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Flashlight in the shape of a gun (mid-20th century) from the permanent collection of the Museo del Objeto del Objeto
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IPhone XR Flashlight
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Left to right: 3x AA to D parallel battery converter with rechargeable NiMH AA-size batteries inserted. MY DAY vintage flashlight. It uses 1.5 V D-size batteries. Sofirn SP36 flashlight. It features a 5 V 2 A USB-C charging port to load 3.7 V 18650 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
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Dive flashlight with different reflectors and collimator for LED XHP70.2
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A rechargeable, programmable LED flashlight
See also
In Spanish: Linterna eléctrica para niños
