What is a fluorescent lamp?
A high efficiency lamp utilizing an electric discharge through low pressure mercury vapor to produce ultra-violet (UV) energy. The UV excites phosphor materials applied as a thin layer on the inside of a glass tube which makes up the structure of the lamp. The phosphors transform the UV to visible lights. What does the numbering on a fluorescent lamp mean? Most standard lamps are designated in the following format F32T8 35K. The F meaning that the lamp is fluorescent, the 32 is the lamp wattage, the T designates the shape of the lamp (T = tubular), the 8 is the diameter of the lamp in 1/8 of an inch. A T8 lamp has an 8/8 diameter or one inch diameter. A T12 lamp has a 12/8 diameter or 1-1/2 inches. The last designation is the color of the light the lamp emits in this case 3500 degrees Kelvin. You may see other color designators such as CW cool white, WW warm white, or other numbers in degrees Kelvin. The higher the number the cooler the color of the lamp. The lower the number the warme
