What are Fluorescent Lamps?
Fluorescent lamps produce light by using electricity to excite mercury vapor, which produces ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light in turn causes the fluorescent lamps’ phosphorescent coating to fluoresce, or glow, with visible light. Fluorescent lamps are bulkier, more complex, and more expensive than traditional, incandescent bulbs, but they are much more energy efficient and last longer, saving money in the long run. Fluorescent lamps use a ballast to control the amount of electricity that flows through the lamp, as they need only a small amount to work and would self-destruct under an uncontrolled flow.
