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Did you know that William D. Coolidge was born today in 1873? He was an American physicist and engineer. William D. Coolidge developed the tungsten filament, an essential development in modern incandescent light bulbs. Tungsten metal would create a brighter and longer-lasting filament, but was difficult to mold and shape. William D. Coolidge developed a process to create ductile (bendable) tungsten wire, which could be shaped in to filaments. He also developed and improved X-ray tube which could produce predictable amounts of radiation. This allowed the development of machines that could create better x-ray images and machines for cancer treatment.
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Bonus Facts:
Initial filaments were made from carbonized paper or bamboo. Later filaments were made from metals such as tantalum, which had higher melting points. Early filaments were fragile and not energy-efficient. Tungsten was identified as a better filament material, but initially it could not be manufactured into a useful shape.
The basic design of William D. Coolidge’s X-ray tube is still in use today.
William D. Coolidge also helped to develop a submarine-detection system.
William D. Coolidge was awarded numerous patents.
William D. Coolidge received many awards and medals including the Rumford Prize, Louis E. Levy Medal, Faraday Medal, and election to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.