Bulb Holders, Regular

Quick Answer: Bulb Holders, Regular are small lamp holders with connecting terminals that hold a miniature torch bulb in a circuit, so students can add lamps to series and parallel circuits built on the bench.

A Lamp Holder for Bench Circuits

In school electricity practicals a lamp is the simplest sign that current is flowing, and its brightness gives a rough idea of how much. The bulb holder makes the lamp usable: the bulb screws or pushes into a socket, and the socket is connected to two terminals, often screw terminals or sockets for plug leads, so it can be wired in with connecting wires and crocodile clips.

Holders used in schools usually take small screw-base torch bulbs, most often the miniature Edison screw size, fixed on a small base so they stand upright on the bench. The Regular version is the basic holder of this kind; bulb base, base material and terminal type should be matched to the bulbs and leads already in use.

With two or three holders students can compare lamps in series, where they share the supply voltage and glow more dimly, with lamps in parallel, where each gets the full voltage. Unscrewing one bulb shows why a break in a series circuit stops every lamp while a parallel circuit keeps working.

Circuit Practicals

• Building series and parallel lamp circuits in middle-school science.
• Testing materials as conductors or insulators, with a lamp as the indicator.
• Using a lamp as the load when measuring current and voltage with meters.
• Showing the action of a switch, fuse or variable resistor in a simple circuit.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Match the bulb’s rated voltage to the supply, so bulbs are not burned out by too many cells.
• Unscrew bulbs gently by the glass, remembering that a bulb that has just been lit can be hot.
• Tighten terminal screws on bare wire ends only as far as needed, so the threads do not strip.
• Store the holders with the bulbs removed, in a box, so the sockets stay free of dust and bent contacts.

Why Choose LabEquip

Primary and secondary schools buy bulb holders in class sets, usually with bulbs, cells and leads, to run circuit practicals for a whole group at once. They also extend ready-made kits such as the series and parallel circuit kit. LabEquip lists them in General Lab Products, and class quantities can be arranged through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which bulbs fit the regular holder?

Holders of this type are made for small torch bulbs, most often the miniature screw-base size used in school circuit kits. Look at the base of your bulbs before ordering, as push-in and bayonet bulbs need different holders.

What voltage bulbs should be used?

Choose bulbs rated close to the supply, for example bulbs rated for two or three cells when the circuit runs from two or three cells. A bulb rated far below the supply burns out quickly, while one rated far above it hardly glows.

Why do bulbs in series glow more dimly than bulbs in parallel?

In series the supply voltage is shared between the bulbs and the same, smaller current passes through each. In parallel each bulb has the full supply voltage across it, so each takes more current and glows more brightly.

How is the holder connected into a circuit?

Wires from the cell, switch or other components are fixed to the two terminals, under the terminal screws or with crocodile clips or plug leads, depending on the terminal type. The bulb completes the path between the two terminals.

Can these holders be used with mains electricity?

No. They are for low-voltage cells and bench power supplies used in school practicals. Mains lamp holders are built and insulated differently, and mains circuits should never be assembled on the bench.

Why does a bulb flicker in its holder?

Usually the bulb is not screwed in far enough, the contact at the base of the socket is bent or dirty, or a terminal is loose. Reseat the bulb, tighten the terminals and try a bulb known to work to find the fault.

Last Updated: September 2026