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Everything above absolute zero gives off radiation. We can only see a small fraction of that radiation. Some snakes see heat that we can see only with special equipment. Some insects see ultraviolet which we also need special equipment to see. We see the radiation in the colors that the sun gives off. At night we see very little. If something is heated hot enough, it gives off radiation close to the color that the sun gives off. You can see that when you look at a gas stove. You can see the hottest blue flame then a cooler yellow flame and then a cooler red flame. If you run electricity through some substances, you will heat them up until they give off heat or light. Thus, with certain materials you can heat a filament until it reaches the temperature where it gives off a white light. The filament is enclosed in glass to keep out oxygen. Otherwise the filament would burn up. So a filament gets real hot like a stove and then gives off light.

Florescent lights do not need to get nearly near as hot and use far less electricity. Soon there will be diode bulbs that use even less.

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Violette Gibson

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2y ago
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5mo ago

A filament bulb produces light by passing an electric current through a thin wire filament, which causes it to heat up and emit light. The filament is usually made of tungsten due to its high melting point and low reactivity with oxygen. The glowing filament produces visible light through the process of thermal radiation.

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15y ago

Fluorescent lights are quite different from regular incandescents. Incandescents have a filament the glows white hot, producing light. Fluorescents, on the other hand, are more like neon lights: electricity is used to excite a gas to produce light. Unlike neon lights, the light produced by the gas is ultraviolet. The ultraviolet radiation strikes a white "phosphor" (though not necessarily made with the element phosphorus) coating on the inside of the tube, which then emits the visible light we see.

Be careful handling any broken fluorescent tubes: the gas used to produce the ultraviolet contains Mercury, which is a neurotoxin, and the phosphor is a powder that is easily inhaled. None are good for your health!

For more detail on the circuitry, why some have starters/start buttons, etc. see the information in the Related Links shown below.

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6y ago

A fluorescent lamp is a glass tube containg some mercury vapor, with a phosphorescent coating on the interior surface of the tube.

The mercury vapor is made to glow by using a high voltage across its electrodes that sets off an electric arc discharge in the tube. The discharge can also be described as a conducting plasma.

The resulting flow of current through the mercury vapor is stable and well-controlled by an external ballast, or loading device, which consists of a high-inductance choke coil wire in series with the tube.

The continuing dischange glow is invisible to the human eye but it causes the phosphorescent coating on the interior surface of the tube to emit visible light.

For more information see the Related link below and the answers to the Related Questions.

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10y ago

A fluorescent light bulb contains a low pressure mercury vapor gas-discharge lamp. This lamp produces visible light by sending electrical current through the mercury vapor and energizing the molecules. This produces ultraviolet light that causes a phosphor coating on the bulb to glow.

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15y ago

Everything above absolute zero gives off radiation. We can only see a small fraction of that radiation. Some snakes see heat that we can see only with special equipment. Some insects see ultraviolet which we also need special equipment to see. We see the radiation in the colors that the sun gives off. At night we see very little. If something is heated hot enough, it gives off radiation close to the color that the sun gives off. You can see that when you look at a gas stove. You can see the hottest blue flame then a cooler yellow flame and then a cooler red flame. If you run electricity through some substances, you will heat them up until they give off heat or light. Thus, with certain materials you can heat a filament until it reaches the temperature where it gives off a white light. The filament is enclosed in glass to keep out oxygen. Otherwise the filament would burn up. So a filament gets real hot like a stove and then gives off light.

Florescent lights do not need to get nearly near as hot and use far less electricity. Soon there will be diode bulbs that use even less.

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10y ago

An electric current flows through the filament which is usually made of tungsten because its melting point is the highest of all metals. The filament heats to around 3000 degrees C and becomes incandescent, radiating heat and light by what is technically called black body radiation.

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8y ago

when the coil wire in the bulb has electricity passing through it the wire heats up to then create light.

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14y ago

the part in the light bulb that produces the light.

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15y ago

Check the link for a good treatment of the subject.

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Q: How does a filament bulb produce light?
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Related questions

What part of the bulb glows to produce light?

the filament


What is light bulb filament?

A light bulb filament is a thin wire, typically made of tungsten, that is heated by an electrical current to produce light. As the filament heats up, it glows and produces light, making it a critical component in an incandescent light bulb.


What happens if the filament breaks?

If the filament in a light bulb breaks, the circuit is interrupted and the light bulb will no longer illuminate. This is because the broken filament is unable to produce light when electricity flows through it.


Is resistance in the filament of a lamp essential or not?

Yes, the resistance of the filament of a light bulb is what generates enough heat to make the filament glow and produce light.


What is the wire inside a light bulb called?

The wire inside a light bulb is called a filament. It is typically made of tungsten and emits light when an electric current passes through it, heating it up to produce light.


What heats the filament?

The electric current passing through the filament in an incandescent light bulb heats it up. This causes the filament to glow and produce visible light.


What type of light does a light bulb produce?

A light bulb produces visible light when electricity flows through its filament, causing it to heat up and emit light. The color of the light produced depends on the type of filament and gases inside the bulb.


What does a light bulb radiate?

A light bulb radiates visible light when an electric current passes through its filament, causing it to glow and produce light.


What does the filament of a light bulb allows the light bulb to change electrical energy to?

The filament of a light bulb allows electrical energy to be converted into radiant energy in the form of light and heat. When electricity flows through the filament, it heats up and emits light through a process called incandescence.


What happens when electricity flows through the filament in a light bulb?

When electricity flows through the filament in a light bulb, the filament becomes very hot and starts to emit light due to the process of incandescence. The electricity heats up the filament to a high temperature, causing it to glow and produce light.


Does a light bulb have magnet?

No, a light bulb does not have magnets. A light bulb works by passing electricity through a filament, causing it to glow and produce light. Magnets are not used in the operation of a regular light bulb.


What is the function of lead wires in a light bulb?

Lead wires in a light bulb are used to connect the filament to the electrical circuit. They conduct electricity from the power source to the filament, allowing it to heat up and produce light. Lead wires also provide support for the filament within the bulb.