In-class Activity
Part I
Instructions:
Read the article on how Thomas Alva Edison invented the incandescent light bulb. After reading the
article, identify the scientific attitudes possessed by Thomas Alva Edison that helped him become
successful in his inventions.
THOMAS ALVA EDISON
Thomas Alva Edison once noticed that when electricity flowed through a piece of iron wire, the iron
wire became red hot. The wire glowed brightly but not bright enough to light a room. When he used a
thinner piece of iron wire and allowed electricity to pass through the wire glowed. But he wanted
greater brightness. He tried other metals. Finally, he discovered that a thin piece of tungsten wire
could actually glow so bright that it could light up a room.
But he also saw that the glow does not last long. After a few minutes, the wire burned to ashes. He
wondered why. He knew that oxygen is needed in burning. He reasoned that if only the wire would
not come in contact with oxygen it will not burn. He, therefore, pumped out air (containing oxygen)
from the bulb using a machine. He then enclosed the tungsten wire in what he thought was already
an oxygen-free bulb. The wire glowed longer, but it also died after a few minutes.
Edison tried pumping out more air and tested the bulb again. When the glow on the wire died out, he
repeated his experiment, pumping out larger amounts of air and making sure no air entered the bulb.
This was his way of finding out whether the length of time before the wire ceased from glowing was
dependent on the amount of air present in the bulb. He repeated his activity over and over again,
getting many bulbs busted in the process. But he did not lose hope. He continued with the
experiment. Each time the wire glowed brighter and longer. Finally, the tungsten glowed steadily.
Edison knew then that he had succeeded. He had invented an incandescent light bulb.
>> Thomas Alva Edison possess all of the 7 scientific attitudes that a scientist should have. Starting
from being curious about the flowed of electricity in a piece of iron. Being objective, open-
mindedness, perseverance as he repeated his activity over and over again. Humility, Accepting failure
and scepticism. By having all of the attitudes he finished his work and made the incandescent light
bulb.
Part 2
Instructions:
Enumerate seven (7) scientific attitudes and write it under “scientific attitude” column. Give reasons
why scientists need that scientific attitude. Write the reasons under “ Why a Scientist Needs It?”
column. Fill up the “ What I Can Do to Develop this Scientific Attitude to Myself?” Column.
Scientific Attitudes Why a Scientist Needs it? What I can do to develop this
Scientific Attitudes to Myself?
Curiosity This makes you ask questions
constantly about the world
around you and with this it
helps you to desire of learning
new things.
Be active and try doing things
outside your comfort zone so
that you can experience new
things that will make you
curious about it.
Objectivity Having this attitudes makes
you an objective person that
was free from personal
prejudices or biases.
Be unemotional, and see
things as they really are, not
from personally biased
viewpoint and be neutral and
understand both points of
view.
