How many minerals are used to make a light bulb?

That's a surprisingly complex question, actually. For a classic incandescent bulb, you're looking at well over a dozen key minerals. The glass alone needs silica, limestone, and trona. The filament is made from tungsten. The metal cap needs copper and zinc from their respective ores. You also have molybdenum and iron for the internal wires. Modern LED bulbs are even more complicated, using various rare earth elements as well. It all adds up rather quickly