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.