Can an EMP destroy a lightbulb?

Question

Would it perhaps fry the filament? If it can, is it at all feasible? :)

Answer 1

The general rule-of-thmb is that it takes as much energy to an order-of magnitude more energy from an EMP, at the activation point (i.e. the lightbulb), to damage the component as the components own activation energy. So, if the energy present from the EMP at a 100W light bulb is 100 to 1000 Watts at the light bulb, then yes, it is possible to burn it out. Getting that much energy from a distant nuke (even at high altitude) is possible, but difficult.

What did most of the damage in Hawaii from Starfish wasn't the direct EMP, but all the secondary effects of the EMP when power-grid protection relays were tripped, or not tripped when they should have been.

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Answer 2

Sure it can. Of course, the classic way to generate EMP is to detonate a nuke above the area in question, which might be considered overkill if you're just trying to fry a lightbulb.

You might be able to build some sort of transmitter that could take out a lightbulb, but I don't really know how much you'd have to pump through it, and you'd have to be careful about not interfering on RF frequencies, and so forth. It's probably easier just to pop the glass, or run a nice big current through it.

Answer 3

This actually happened:
EMP damage on Hawaii some 1,300 km from the burst point.
The American 1.4 Mt Starfish test at 400-km, on 9 July 1962, induced large EMP currents in the overhead wires of 30 strings of Oahu streetlights, each string having 10 lights (300 streetlights in all). The induced current was sufficient to blow the fuses. EMP currents in the power lines set off ‘hundreds’ of household burglar alarms and opened many power line circuit breakers. On the island of Kauai, EMP closed down telephone calls to the other islands despite the 1962 sturdy relay (electromechanical) telephone technology, by damaging the equipment in a microwave link.

Answer 4

EMP will cause a current to flow in a lightbulb. I'd say it is feasible if you could obtain a pulse with enough energy to produce a curent large enough in the bulb the cause it to happen.

Answer 5

Does camera flash made emp device can completely destroy or discharge a 3.7(v)voltage battery ?is there any possibility to do that with emp pulse? can anyone answer me ?

Answer 6

It might be possible if the EMP created a power surge to the light bulb. In that case, it very well could blow.