Why Incandescent Bulbs DON'T really Flicker (Even on AC Power)?
All THERMAL sources have large inertia (lag)
They can’t change brightness instantly.
That’s why Incandescent bulbs barely flicker, even on AC power (50/60 Hz).
Let me explain..
The filament in the Incandescent bulb takes time to heat up & cool down, so it doesn’t react instantly to each AC cycle.
This creates a low-frequency flicker that’s SMOOTHED OUT by the filament’s thermal inertia, making the light appear stable even with AC power.
Higher wattage incandescent bulbs have larger filaments that take EVEN LONGER to heat up & cool down.
So the bigger the filament,
The slower the temperature fluctuations,
Meaning the bulb has even less time to react to the fluctuations in the AC current.
So you get even less flicker with higher wattage (60w vs 250w) Incandescent bulb..
ze_rusty / Rusty
npub16g…yulsy
2025-11-08 08:02:47 UTC
Author Public Key
npub16guycjkxy04e79dwfjejaeafkqlqyq5q94f0yw2l9m50vse32x4qsyulsyPublished at
2025-11-08 08:02:47 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "Why Incandescent Bulbs DON'T really Flicker (Even on AC Power)?\n\nAll THERMAL sources have large inertia (lag)\n\nThey can’t change brightness instantly.\n\nThat’s why Incandescent bulbs barely flicker, even on AC power (50/60 Hz).\n\nLet me explain..\n\nThe filament in the Incandescent bulb takes time to heat up \u0026 cool down, so it doesn’t react instantly to each AC cycle. \n\nThis creates a low-frequency flicker that’s SMOOTHED OUT by the filament’s thermal inertia, making the light appear stable even with AC power.\n\nHigher wattage incandescent bulbs have larger filaments that take EVEN LONGER to heat up \u0026 cool down. \n\nSo the bigger the filament, \n\nThe slower the temperature fluctuations, \n\nMeaning the bulb has even less time to react to the fluctuations in the AC current.\n\nSo you get even less flicker with higher wattage (60w vs 250w) Incandescent bulb..\n\nhttps://blossom.primal.net/5e812a3aa1cdb8e9bf0cef9e73bd2e28a6cd5937946c2fefd761d50bdc4d49d2.mp4 ",
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