How do CFLs work?
CFL’s consist of two parts – a gas-filled tube and a magnetic or electronic ballast. The gas in the tube glows with 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 throughout the surface of the tube. Incandescent bulbs work differently. Most of the electricity they use heats a tungsten filament until it glows white hot. As a result, incandescent bulbs generate far more heat than a fluorescent bulb. Since the light source is a single point, incandescents also project light further than CFLs that project a more diffuse light.
