[email:http://www.metacafe.com/watch/726251/turn_a_pencil_into_a_light/]http://www.metacafe.com/watch/726251/turn_a_pencil_into_a_light/[/email]

saw this on the net! (this is 1st attempt at a link) turn a pencil into a light

'turn a pencil, some wire and a car battery into a light..'

Looks like another great MacGyverism. Thanks

learn something new every day. Awesome trick.

This is essentially what came to be called the "incandescent light bulb". Edison found out you got a longer-lasting light by encasing the filament in an air-tight glass bulb, which slowed the rate of oxydation (burning out). A wire composed of tungsten and carbon was also found to be superior to carbon and clay (a pencil lead).

I would be very reluctant to use it as shown in the video.

Frank2135

Hah! I remember doing this back in my high school physics class with mechanical pencil lead and smaller power supplies. We even impaled some Gummy Bears onto the lead before we lit some of them up. (Yes, this was actually a teacher approved experiment!) BTW, burning pencil lead stinks pretty bad. Keep away from nose, and anything flammable.

We tried this recently. It didn't work. The graphite kept exploding in a shower of white-hot shards. Wear eye protection if you're going to mess with this trick .

Years ago a relative who was a mechanic in his fathers shop had a battery explode in his face. He knew what to do and didn't suffer any damage but the memory stays with me. I would never try anything like this unless all other options were exhausted and it was a Dire Emergency.

I was cringing when Les Stroud used fuel from the plane and sparks from a battery to start a fire in winter on one episode. I would keep a flashlight and a 12v auto light in my car or use light from my cell phone or anything else I could think of, before I decided to resort to something like this. But as a Very Last Resort light or fire starter, maybe.....

My uncle did that when when starter solenoid failed on 1950's Ford tractor and he went to use jumper cables from the battery to the starter and forgot it was positive ground. Dad came flying across the field thinking someone had gotten shot or something.
If your really that desperate for a light then it would make more sense to me to yank a dome light or something out and use it.
I wonder if the graphite would make a good fire starter though.

Heck, you're in a car. Couldn't you just pull out a tail light bulb or interior light bulb and do it easier and safer? Seems like an answer to a non existant problem.