🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <32r4p4$93g@news.duke.edu> surendar@tamil.cs.duke.edu writes:
>This may sound weird, but has anyone else noticed the amazingly high 
>numbers of drivers from NC driving with only one head lamp. Yesterday 
>I even noticed one Porsche with just one parking lights working. Could
>this be coincidence or did God actually curse NC to drive around 
>with one lamp :-(
>

Actually the question is:  Automobile headlights are made in the same
plant at the same time using the same specs and installed in your car at
the same time.  The same voltage is applied to each headlight an equal
number of times for an equal amount of time.  Yet, one headlight always
burns out YEARS before the other.  Why is this?

The answer is simple:  Headlights are actually manufactured in TWO different
lots -- the A lot and the B lot (these aren't the technical terms), the
B-group headlights being DESIGNED to burn out more quickly than the A-group
headlights.  The reason is that having one headlight burn out on a long trip
at night is not a serious problem, but having BOTH of them burn out would be
a catastrophic failure.  By equipping cars with a headlight from each group,
the driver has plenty of time to replace the burned out headlight before
the second one goes.  Even if the replacement light is the same group-type
as the remaining headlight, the fact that they were put in at different times
will keep them both from failing simultaneously.  This is why you don't see
an A-lot/B-lot designation on headlights at auto-parts stores -- the
distinction is no longer important.





The problem with this story is that it is, in fact, complete nonsense, but
try it out on an electrical engineer sometime -- I guarantee you won't be
disappointed.


Paul Denisowski (MSEE student)

padeniso@eos.ncsu.edu
or
Paul.Denisowski@bnr.ca