Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
the compact fluorescent bulb
it creates light
but in a very unique way
it uses electricity to excite gases present in the bulb to create a chain reaction
until it finally emits visible light
first it produces ultraviolet light which can't be seen
Then it uses that invisible light to create fluorescent light which we can see
that's right it creates light
twice
the compact fluorescent bulb
it uses electricity to create an invisible light
and recycles it to create a visible light
it really is an energy recycler
but how does it work
The compact fluorescent bulb
electrodes, tube
inside a fluorescent coating
and a tiny drop of mercury and a mix of rare gases
for that bulb to shine a light; three things have to happen :
one, electricity must flow through the gases in the bulb
two, that electricity must excite the mercury so that it creates invisible light
and three that light must excite the fluorescent tube coating
and make it light up
to find out how all this excitment creates visible light
we've got to bust open that bulb
first thing to know
First thing to know, the environment in that bulb is very special. it's all about pressure
or, rather, the lack of pressure
the gas pressure in the bulb is hundreds of time lower than normal atmospheric pressure
that's key
At such low pressure, mercury becomes a gas and that's important because that
mercury vapor floats
and mixes with the other gases in that tube.
When the light bulbs is turned on, electricity flows to the bulb through the electrodes
setting off a chain reaction
to create light electricity must travel through the tube
but the mix of gases inside that tube is not conductive
electric current can't flow through this mix
electricity must transform the mix of gases inside the tube by energizing the mix.
Once it's energized,
the mix of gases changes state
it's now highly conductive
an electric current can flow through it
this is when the mercury vapor becomes essential
when an electric current excites the mercury
it reacts by emitting ultraviolet light : invisible light
Now that bulb has created light once,
it can't be seen
but it's got a lot of energy
that's a good thing
because the bulbs are great energy recycler
when that invisible but high energy light reaches the fluorescent coating on the
inside of the tube
that energy is not lost
because it then excites the fluorescent coating
the coating absorbs all the energy from the ultraviolet light
when fluorescent matter is excited by an invisible but highly energetic light
it react
it emits light
light that has less energy than the ultraviolet radiance that provoked it
but light is visible
Inside that bulb, light's been created twice.
Awesome !
the compact fluorescent bulb, it's an incredible invention
it uses electricity to transform a mix of gases and make it conductive
then it uses the electric current to excite mercury
which emits invisible light
which excites the fluorescent coating
which emits visible light
that bulb takes an invisible light and recycles it to create a visible light
it really is an energy recycler.