| Understanding how fluorescent light tubes work begins | | | | shell with an electrode on each end for connecting to |
| with a basic understanding of how light is produced. | | | | the electrical source. Phosphor powder lines the inside |
| The basic unit of light is the light photon, which is | | | | of the tube, and a small amount of mercury and an |
| released by an atom when its electrons become | | | | inert gas are contained within it. When current flows to |
| energized. As you may know, electrons are negatively | | | | and between the electrodes, electrons travel the |
| charged particles that orbit around an atom's positively | | | | length of the tube, creating energy that converts part |
| charged nucleus. Electrons have different levels of | | | | of the mercury to a gas. As some of the moving |
| energy, and move when energy is gained or lost by | | | | atoms and electrons make contact with the mercury |
| the atom. When heat passes energy to an atom, | | | | atoms, electrons become excited, jump to a new |
| electrons quickly shift to another orbital, and almost | | | | orbital, and emit light photons as they return to the |
| instantaneously jump back to their original positions. As | | | | original orbital. |
| the return jump takes place, extra energy can be | | | | However, the light created by this chemical reaction is |
| released in the form of a light photon, thus creating light. | | | | mostly in the ultraviolet range, which again is not |
| We have all heard that fluorescent bulbs are more | | | | comprehended by the human eye. The phosphor |
| efficient than incandescent ones, but why? Fluorescent | | | | powder lining the fluorescent lamp serves the |
| bulbs utilize a more energy efficient process of | | | | important purpose of converting the light to visible light. |
| producing the light that we see. The main difference | | | | When the light photons created from the chemical |
| between incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting is | | | | reaction collide with a phosphor, the energy excites the |
| in the process of stimulating the atoms. Incandescent | | | | phosphor's electrons, thus emitting visible light. |
| light bulbs excite atoms through the introduction of | | | | Phosphors are the reason for the white light we |
| heat, resulting in an excess of unused heat energy. | | | | typically see from fluorescent lights. |
| Fluorescent light bulbs, on the other hand, utilize a | | | | The popularity of fluorescent lighting is on the rise as |
| chemical reaction to excite atoms without the same | | | | consumers are becoming more environmentally |
| excess heat energy. Both types of bulbs create | | | | conscious and are looking for energy saving solutions. |
| ultraviolet light, which is not visible to humans. But only | | | | Once widespread mainly in large office buildings and |
| fluorescent bulbs utilize a substance that converts the | | | | schools, the fluorescent bulb is now manufactured with |
| ultraviolet light to visible light, resulting in less wasted | | | | a standard bulb base making it compatible with more |
| energy. | | | | common home light fixtures. |
| An ordinary fluorescent lamp is a tube shaped glass | | | | |