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How is fluorescent light produced?

How is fluorescent light produced?

A fluorescent lamp generates light from collisions in a hot gas (‘plasma’) of free accelerated electrons with atoms– typically mercury – in which electrons are bumped up to higher energy levels and then fall back while emitting at two UV emission lines (254 nm and 185 nm).

How does a fluorescent light work step by step?

Fluorescent lamps work by ionizing mercury vapor in a glass tube. This causes electrons in the gas to emit photons at UV frequencies. The UV light is converted into standard visible light using a phosphor coating on the inside of the tube.

What are the six parts of a fluorescent lamp?

Compact fluorescent components consist of cover, coil glass tube, phosphor coating, mercury vapor, ballast, ballast cover, and base.

What are the components of a fluorescent light?

A fluorescent fixture has three main parts — the bulb, ballast, and starter. When one of these components malfunctions, replacement is usually the answer.

What is fluorescent light source?

A fluorescent light source is a tube containing mercury vapor and lined with a phosphor. When current is passed through the vapor the strong ultraviolet emission excites the phosphor, which emits visible light. The ultraviolet itself cannot emerge because it is absorbed by the glass.

How is the white light produced in fluorescent lamp?

Electrons and Atoms Collide within Fluorescent Lamps Electrons emitted from the electrode collide with the mercury atoms comprising the vapor inside the glass tube. It is this coating that causes fluorescent lamps to glow white.

How do fluorescent tubes work physics?

A fluorescent lamp, or fluorescent tube, is a low-pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor, which produces short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp to glow.

What is the starter in a fluorescent light?

Fluorescent starters or glow starters are used to help fluorescent tubes and lamps ignite in the initial starting stage of their operation. Simply put, fluorescent starters are a timed switch. The switch opens and closes until the fluorescent tube ‘strikes’ and lights-up.

What are the parts and functions of fluorescent lamp?

General lighting There are two very distinct parts to fluorescent lighting: the tube and the fitting. Fluorescent tubes ionise mercury vapour to produce ultraviolet light, which is converted to visible light by the phosphor coating on the inside face of the tube.

What are the parts of fluorescent lamp starter?

The most common fluorescent starter is called a “glow tube starter” (or just starter) and contains a small gas (neon, etc.) filled tube and an optional radio frequency interference (RFI) suppression capacitor in a cylindrical aluminum can with a 2 pin base.

What is a fluorescent material?

Fluorescence is the ability of certain chemicals to give off visible light after absorbing radiation which is not normally visible, such as ultraviolet light.

What do you need to make a fluorescent light?

To construct a fluorescent tube light a lime glass tube, drop of mercury, argon gas, phosphor coating and the electrodes with their mount assemblies are required. Total set up of a lamp requires two bases and choke coil with a starter.

What is the working principle of a fluorescent lamp?

This high valued surge voltage comes across the fluorescent lamp (tube light) electrodes and strikes penning mixture (mixture argon gas and mercury vapor). Gas discharge process gets started and continues and hence current again gets a path to flow through the fluorescent lamp tube (tube light) itself.

What happens to the starter in a fluorescent lamp?

The discharge of mercury atoms produces ultraviolet radiation which in turn excites the phosphor powder coating to radiate visible light. Starter gets inactive during glowing of fluorescent lamp (tube light) because no current passes through the starter in that condition.

How big is the tube of a fluorescent lamp?

Fluorescent lamp tubes are normally straight and long. The length of the commonly used lamp is around 100 millimeters (3.9 in). A few lamps have the tube twisted into a circle, utilized for table lamps or different spots where a more conservative light source is required.