How a Fluorescent Lamp Works

►WHAT IS THIS
As the most common source of light, you must be familiar with fluorescent light bulbs. In this video, we are going to take a closer look at the physics that make them work - just in time for Halloween!
►TIMESTAMPS
0:37 - The Building is Haunted!
2:16 - UV Lamp
3:53 - Phosphors
6:42 - Ballasts
7:47 - The Building Isn't Haunted!
►MATERIALS
Fluorescent Lamps (Household, Overhead)
Electronic Ballast
►CREDITS
Narrator: Dayton Aardema, EE
Editor: Dayton Aardema
Music: Cody Aardema - Blueprint Theme
Kevin MacLeod - Giant Wyrm, The House of Leaves
#Blueprint

[@BlueprintScience]

Keep an eye out for all of the haunted Easter-eggs. There are plenty to find throughout the video for those who look closely.

[@kirkhamandy]

Oh! The clock was an egg? OK, I'll go look for some more, not often I rewatch a YT video!

[@kirkhamandy]

before I get there, I noticed a monobrow growth!

[@kirkhamandy]

1:29 the whiteboard and the clock is now off entirely!

[@PaulMcHanJr]

Please take a look at this information & let me know if you would be interested in going. Thanks www.r-charge.net/Nov-9-10-2018-Lansing-Michigan-Resonance-Engineering-Convention-Workshop_p_323.html

[@BlueprintScience]

@@PaulMcHanJr That looks hella fun! But, alas, I will still be in school a few hundred miles away.

[@luxerdise3862]

we cant ignore the fact that he did an entire horror skit for an informational vid XD well done

[@HeaanLasai]

I wish this channel existed back when I was in school.

[@kirkhamandy]

1:40 clock shows ten twenty-four and then, after the cut it's four thirty-eight. Spooky indeed.

[@BlueprintScience]

You saw that did you? Good eye.

[@LeonardCaldwell]

Oh, man! Your videos are super-enjoyable! :-) Thanks for putting them out here. Happy Halloween

[@BlueprintScience]

Thanks, Happy Halloween, Leonard

[@matthewshipsky977]

Good delivery, not overly technical and straight to the point, with flair

[@sligovolts]

So stoked to watch a new video from you. Thanks!

[@BlueprintScience]

No! Thank YOU sligovolt It takes a while for me to get em out there, though.

[@sligovolts]

@@BlueprintScience high quality videos take time. Keep up the great work!

[@zolatanaffa87]

Very nice video (a little bit creepy ;-) ) and optimous explanation! Really good!

[@BlueprintScience]

Thanks, Zola!

[@Purple431]

Don't forget that these lamps contains neon or argon as a starter gas

[@Toki1908]

Amazing educational video!!

[@ghaithalshjrawi2540]

It is just brilliant Great video. I am rally appreciate your work

[@yura2424]

Very well explained!

[@saturatedpictures7441]

Thank you! This actually helped me understand this topic!

[@larsandersen8800]

Very nice set-up, I am referring to your desk😁

[@player7747]

1:37 when you are wathcing it 2 days before halloween

[@pablojr.1805]

Are the cfl tube ballast and cfl light ballast different ?

[@bird9350]

When I learn these kinds of details, it always makes me wonder how does someone go “oh, hold on. I know what I need for my new type of light bulb… Vaporised mercury gas is just what I need!”

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Good informative and entertaining video.

[@Snyper1188]

Hey, I got a question... could you possibly "jump" in an oscilloscope and observe the different sine waves generated by different bulb types? Or would a wave be observed at all? I would try it myself, but I sadly don't have my oscilloscope anymore... :/ awesome video btw, just in time for the spooky holidays!!

[@BlueprintScience]

Hmmm. I don't know what you mean by "sine waves generated by different bulb types." As I understand, they all use 60Hz AC and are a resistive load only. I may be very wrong though. Also, thanks Snyper. Happy Halloween.

[@Snyper1188]

@@BlueprintScience Yeah, I didn't think before I typed. You're right, output would be 60hz AC, and I should've known better about light bulbs being a type of resistor lol.

[@mbh-funlearn5833]

1:35 when It’s blinking it so dark and it fuses it is brighter, how so, I am confused

[@LukeWelles]

Thank you!

[@unclefrankindia]

Awesome knowledge

[@CodyAardema]

1:00 gets me every time...

[@bombay2008]

I take my hat off to you another good video

[@winnerd6772]

After like 1 or 2 years the light produced by a CFL bulb goes from pure white to some dirty yellowish-white, can someone explain why?, and is it harmful when it became yellowish ?

[@dingleburry7919]

I thought theres a heating element at each end of the bulb, and the ballast first heats the gas inside, to help the gas become conductive, then switches the terminals and uses the heater coils as a lead on each end to conduct across the bulb. ??? Then acts as a current limiter. As you have said. Is this video just a different technique? Or ???

[@BlueprintScience]

How I understand it is this: Before the gas ionizes, the filaments heat up. Once the gas becomes conductive, all the power that was going through the filament now goes through the gas. Heating is an important part of the process. If you look real close at the mercury tube I had, you can see where it glows orange by the filaments due to the heat. I know that the ballast that I had uses 600V to ionize the gas and simultaneously limits the current the whole time. As far as I know, all ballast do pretty much the same thing.

[@o_o-_-8639]

I’ve found out that cfl are longer lasting and more interesting than leds…

[@briankiwaa5519]

Awesome

[@BlueprintScience]

Thanks, Brian

[@northernskies86]

1:28 and the walls will ooze green slime!

[@BlueprintScience]

You got it ;)

[@PhiTonics]

Question: if the ballist is used to step up the voltage, and forgive me if this is wrong, are the transistors acting as amplification as well..? Also if the transformer needs to step up to voltage, how are we able to then use a low voltage Tesla coil to excite or power the mercury gas? That's kind of what I was hoping this video would answer for me, I'm having to reteach myself electronics because school filled my brain with a bunch of nonsense about electric theory. Also...how DO they get that gas in those tubes..? It looks like it's also just two anodes inside the UV tube? Looks a bit different from the florescent tube construction which is hollow, dose that mean the gas is connecting the circuit?

[@BlueprintScience]

I'll try to answer your questions in order: I'm not an expert on the circuit design for an electronic ballast beyond a basic knowledge of how they work. I believe that ballast convert the input to DC first and then use a high frequency inverter (the transistors) and a transformer to bring the current-limited high voltage to the tube. The Tesla coil got around this problem since it is already a high voltage (several kV) and current limited source. To get the gas inside of the tube, they first blow the glass into the shape that they want, create a partial vacuum in it, and then fill it with whatever gas they want: Mercury, Neon, etc. Often times, these gasses are collected from distillation columns.

[@PhiTonics]

@@BlueprintScience thank you, very through! So still on the Tesla coil.. I have one that uses 5v USB, and I can get it to power a florescent, but it's not as I understand creating that high of voltage, granted it's not as bright, but is still powering it. So this begs the question in my mind since a Tesla coil is so much simpler and smaller to make.. why isn't this be used to power a florescent in place of a balast..? Feel free not to answer this, more of a question to the ethos. And thank you for your time and videos, really got a TON out of the microwave ones.

[@atharvatikekar7307]

Make more circuit videos plz

[@goranvuletic8873]

Sorry, left the video after about a minute. I don't have time for entertainment, I clicked to learn something.

[@alexandernewman7587]

Good Stuff

[@BlueprintScience]

Thanks, Al

[@alexandernewman7587]

@@BlueprintScience What would I have to de-energize on a ballast to make it safe to work on? I've got like 9 of them back home and I wouldn't mind seeing if I can get them back to working order, as the ones in my house have a tendency to fail.

[@nimbus3957]

I love how this horror movie ended

[@wooderdsaunders6801]

Why do florescent lights fa to light in the cold?

[@crazywarp36]

You are supposed to use 75 watt fluroscent lights in cold areas so they light

[@fanawb]

I thought the hash slinging slasher was gonna show up

[@BlueprintScience]

Don't worry, I have a whole complicated backstory that will unfold over years.

[@cesarkrn]

😂😅 nice vid fisics and cinema. Great job

[@bethbono3704]

another easy way to show and explain what is phyically happening to someone, its close to how a butane lighter works, there has to be a small spark to ignite the gas that then puts off light... i always learn with turning things into examples, some people can only learn this way, just thought i would maybe help someone🎉

[@deltabeta5527]

I am also having a unibrow. Join forces with me my brother. The Unibrows will rule the world!!

[@ThePtgautam]

Good

[@ActualGenius]

The schematic 😂

[@CodyAardema]

I see a future video at 1:17

[@issaalqutaibi2085]

your nose is gorgeous

[@BlueprintScience]

Some of us are just born lucky! XD

[@issaalqutaibi2085]

@@BlueprintScience we wanna see induction heater explanation next time.

[@BlueprintScience]

Oh? I've got one of those lying around. I just don't know what I can add to the already existing conversation.

[@issaalqutaibi2085]

@@BlueprintScience hmm maybe coils turns and winding or how can we make the induction waves visible 🤔

[@sohamachrekar8779]

Wish I was having teacher like him ..... Instead of someone who draw some weird things on black board 😂🤣........

[@vivimannequin]

What's that reversed message at the end?

[@BlueprintScience]

What reversed message? I know nothing of any "reversed message" in this video.

[@vivimannequin]

@@BlueprintScience thanks for replying😊 but I heard something at the end that sounded like speech but in reversr

[@vivimannequin]

@@BlueprintScience reverse*

[@kushalsehgal]

Help! I watched this video without goggles and now I might have skin cancer! EDIT: Nevermind, it was just a healthy tan.

[@BlueprintScience]

I... don't think it works that way.

[@martylynchian8628]

Your house looks like a high school.

[@BlueprintScience]

Remind me to fire my interior designer

[@whatthefunction9140]

is this how tesla invented the electric car?

[@takamoron.]

I came here for knowledge. I left knowing that if this man did a pretty smol daily workout he’d look fantastic with the jawline and nose. Is that rude? No it’s compliment •^•

[@BlueprintScience]

Lol, thanks ;)

[@Rhoetex]

😅 😂 😂

[@bassfexer448]

Тесла койл

[@boliusabol822]

DOWNVOTE I dont' have all day I didn't watch this for a comedy routine.

[@BlueprintScience]

Well that’s what I do on this channel

[@crazywarp36]

downvote? this isnt reddit 😂

[@maikeljordao5914]

😴😴😴😴

[@MaikelJordao]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4upl6KmhMp6p8Usi=qMOUVGgB4UaePi5g .. .. maikel

[@leonardschwartz7858]

Just kidding

[@zorans5200]

Nikola Tesla invented flourecent lighting..

[@mark6098]

Great without the terrible cheesy act!!!

[@Phantom-mk4kp]

Got bored after 2 minutes