Why is tungsten used almost exclusively for the filament of electric lamps?

(a) Electric lamps heat up with time as they are used. Since tungsten has a very high melting point, it does not melt even at very high temperatures. Hence, the lamp is not destroyed. (b) Electrical heating devices are required to produce a lot of heat and maintain high temperatures. Since heat generated is proportional to the resistivity of the device, materials of higher resistivities are preferred in the construction of heating devices. Alloys have more resistance than metals and hence are preferred for the same. (c) When resistors are connected in series, the potential difference across each resistor is smaller than the applied voltage. Hence, the power delivered to each device is reduced and hence they don't work at full efficiency. (d) R = ρl/A. Hence, resistance is inversely proportional to the cross-section area of the wire. (e) Cables used for electrical transmission should use up as small power as possible so that most of the power is delivered to the electrical equipment. Power consumed in the wire is proportional to resistivity. Copper and aluminium have very low resistivity and hence are well suited for the purpose of being used as wires.