Anatomy of a flashlight?

Okay so I am new here and to flashlights internal workings as a whole. So someone asked me if I was interested in LED or Incandecants and I was like :huh2::thinking::shrug: So here I am asking for your help in leaning the parts and options in a flashlight. So I will start off with what I think I know

lens-Glass or Plastic or ???
lamp-LED or Incandecant or ???
reflector-???
switch-???
power source-batteries or ???
body-???

Any links on how it all works together. Off hand just thinking about it I would guess it is a circuit and the switch closes the circuit to turn it on. Does the switch do anything else? I assume that based on how much juice the lamp is wicking from the power source, this determines what kind of components are needed as heat builds up? I have heard heatsink mentioned, is this for the switch only or does it pull heat away from the lamp? Does the body act as the heatsink?

Please link or comment please, I know it gets to be a PITA to have the same questions asked again and again but I really suck donkey balls at search, I know it is not supposed to be difficult but in every forum I have ever been in I search and search and never get what I am looking for.

You might want to start here.

:welcome: enjoy your stay here.

For information you better read the Welcome Mat in this thread,

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/172991

lots of useful information there.


Cheers
Giandi

TigerhawkT3 beat me in split second, :twothumbs

The simplest you can get is a tube with batteries and a switch connected to a bulb. closing the switch creates a circuit which lets electric pass through the bulb and creates light. This is how many lights work.

Lens, more specifically a window, a lens modifies the path of the proton. Plastic is more shatter proof then glass but scratches easier(but is cheaper too). Glass is harder and some have a coating on them to allow more light to pass through(99% for the good ones). There are also artificial sapphire windows.

The simplest LED light also works that way. But there are many different kinds of LEDs, some are less the 1 lumen(a cheap 2D light is around 15 lumen and has around800 lux with fresh batteries) while others have over 1000 lumen.

The throw and beam angle is determined by the reflector and the size of the emitter.