How do CFLs work?
CFL’s consist of two parts, a gas-filled tube and a electronic ballast. The gas in the tube glows ultraviolet light when electricity from the ballast flows through it. This in turn excites a white phosphor coating on the inside of the tube, which emits visible light. Incandescent bulbs work differently, most of their energy is consumed in heating a tungsten filament until it glows white hot. Thus they produce far more heat, wasting energy, than CFL bulbs.
