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Aflashlight (inAmerican English) ortorch (inCommonwealth countries) is a small,portable spotlight. Its function is a beam oflight which helps to see. It usually requiresbatteries.
The light is made by a smalllight bulb. In the 20th century, it was usually anincandescent bulb. Nowadays most useLEDs, which work slightly differently. In 1896, the firstdry cell battery was invented. Unlike previous batteries, it used a paste electrolyte instead of a liquid. This was the firstbattery suitable for portable electrical devices, as it did not spill or break easily and worked in any orientation. Sometimes the electricity comes from a smallgenerator instead of a battery.
The torch can also refer to a flammable stick that is lit on fire to provide light and (or) heat.
Hundreds of years ago, people usedcandles oroil lamps for indoor light. Candles were expensive, and once the candle was gone, you would have to buy or make a new one or be stuck in the dark. When electricity was discovered and the light bulb was invented, David Misell, a British man working in Hubert's New York shop in 1898, came up with the idea of a light bulb that you could take with you, anywhere you wanted to go. Then, the torch was invented. The first flashlight has three D batteries which powered a small incandescent bulb. The bulbs would glow with a simple ON/OFF switch.[1]
