Flashlights

In the dark of the night you can easily illuminate the path ahead of you thanks to the ingenious invention known as a flashlight. Flashlights are portable electric spotlights that emit light from a small light bulb or light emitting diodes. The light source is surrounded by small reflectors which direct the light through a clear lens.

Certain flashlights generate power through a hand crank or electromagnetic induction, but typically flashlights rely on batteries for their power. The working elements for a flashlight are contained in a protective housing. Flashlights are generally designed to be held by hand, but certain models used by miners and campers are designed to be mounted to a helmet.

Early versions of the flashlight were making a public appearance as early as 1899. The earlier models didn’t hold currents for a sustained period of time and provided brief flashes of light. The briefness of illumination led them to being referred to as flashlights.