JEOPARDY III

BRIGHT IDEA
Credit: GAMES Magazine
Oct/Nov, 1987
Mark Kantrowitz

Here's the answer to a simple question:

Sending an electrical current through a coil of thin tungsten wire creates a magnetic field, which stretches the coil. When the wire is cool, the tungsten has very low resistance to the flow of current, and may break. But if the wire is heated to, say, 2000 degrees C, the tungsten has a very high resistance and the coil is less likely to break.

What's the question?

Answer:

Why do light bulbs usually burn out when they are first turned on, instead of while they are in use?