Do 3 way bulbs lose individual cycles simultaneously?

[Staples]

I have an incandescent 3 way GE Revel bulb. It can do 50-100-150w cycles. I used to be able to use it at all cycles (usually used 100w) but now I can only get it to do 50w. When the problem started to occur, I could screw it in tight and they would all work however nothing works now. 50w is the only cycle that works. If you shake the bulb, it sounds as if the wires have snapped. Are there two (or three) filaments in three way bulbs proving this to be the norm for the way three way bulbs work?

 

[nwfsnake]

2 filaments, one 50 watt and one 100 watt. Your 100 watt is gone.

 

[Kelemvor]

It's really only two settings. 50 and 100. For 150 it just turns them both on. Normally just one or the other will go bad.

There are 4 clicks to a 3 way light. Off, 50, 100, 150. So if the 100 goes, it will seems like it's alternating, off, 50, burnt out, 50. If the 50 goes, it will be off, off, 100, 100.

But either way, you gotta buy an ew bulb.

 

[Staples]

Thanks for the replies. That is what I though.

Frankey, it is one of those daylight bulbs but it only seems to be only calibrated to 100 to produce the cool color of the sun. It still works at 50, each clicks clicks off and on so I guess you click theory is right on.