Available Light Sources
Available light sources include fluorescent, halogen, HID, incandescent and LED.
Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL)
A smaller or more compact version of a fluorescent tube. CFLs are available with both screw-in and pin-bases along with a wide range of light temperatures and sizes.
In most fluorescent lamps, a mixture of argon and mercury gas contained in a glass bulb is stimulated by an electric current, producing ultraviolet rays. These rays strike a fluorescent phosphor coating on the interior surface of the bulb, causing it to emit visible light. Fluorescent lamps are more efficient than incandescent lamps because very little energy is lost as heat.
A type of incandescent lamp which uses a halogen gas in order to increase both light output and rated life. Halogen lamps are known for moderately high efficiency, quality of light, and high rated life compared to regular incandescent lamps.
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
A family of gas-discharge arc lamps which create light by sending an electrical discharge between two electrodes and through a plasma, or ionized gas. An additional gas is generally used, and this gas serves as an easy way to classify the major types of high intensity lamps: Mercury, sodium, and metal halide.
An electric lamp consisting of a transparent or translucent glass housing containing a wire filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated by electricity.
An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources, LEDs, and the result is visible light. The heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink. Because of their efficiency, LEDs make a good alternative to most conventional light sources.
