Let me explain. My son has a small typical night light that occasionally will go out, even if the bulb isn't dead. Usually I'll tap on it repetitively or shake it to get it to work again. When I hold it under another light, I can see the "coils" or string-looking things moving around uncontrollably, unattached to the points. Now, here's the weird thing. Sometimes, when I get it to work again, it will actually appear brighter than before. Usually it's an orangey-yellow dim light, but after it goes out and I "fix" it, it becomes whiter and brighter. How can this be? Is it because the coils are no longer connected in their usual triangular shape, instead forming an irregular shape? How could that effect it?
It looks something like this. Just your average night light
Best Answer
The coil is a resistor lets say its divided into three parts, they all have equal resistance (same material). If the coil in the bulb comes loose, it can short out at a different point. You have less resistance and more current through the same section of coil. This will make it brighter and also hotter and reduce the lifetime of the coil.
simulate this circuit – Schematic created using CircuitLab