A light bulb is also known as an incandescent light bulb. It makes use of a thin filament made of tungsten. Electricity when passed through the filament, heats it up till it becomes white hot. This whiteness is the light produced. Along with the light generated, the light bulb also produces a lot of heat. This is considered as a waste of energy. The attempt to harness this energy has given way to the fluorescent lamp. They are energy efficient bulbs that do not use tungsten to generate light.
Fluorescent light bulbs use a different method to produce light. They make use of electrodes at both ends of a fluorescent tube. Argon gas and mercury vapor is inside the tube. A stream of electrons flows through the gas from one electrode to the other. These electrons bump into the mercury atoms and excite them. As the mercury atoms move from the excited state back to the unexcited state, they give off ultraviolet photons. These photons hit the phosphor coating the inside of the fluorescent tube. The phosphor creates visible light. This makes fluorescent light bulbs four to six times more than incandescent bulbs. A 15-watt fluorescent light bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.
A fluorescent light bulb generates a smaller amount of heat. It can produce between 50 and 100 lumens, per watt. Many homes in America and around the world have resorted to using fluorescent light bulbs. It provides white light and consumes less energy. They are available in grocery shops with a guarantee of 3 months. It can be bought in different lumens. The unique thing about fluorescent light bulbs is the starter. A light bulb will not start until there is a functional starter in place, to complete the electrical connection.