Lamp (electrical component)

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"Electric lamp" redirects here. For the item of furniture, see light fixture.

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A clear glass 60 W Neolux light bulb
A lamp is a replaceable component such as an incandescent light bulb, which is designed to
produce light from electricity. These components usually have a base of ceramic, metal, glass or
plastic, which makes an electrical connection in the socket of a light fixture. This connection may be
made with a screw-thread base, two metal pins, two metal caps or a bayonet cap.
Types[edit]
There are several types of lamp:
Incandescent lamp, a heated filament inside a glass envelope
Halogen lamps use a fused quartz envelope, filled with halogen gas
LED lamp, a solid-state lamp that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of light
Laser diode lamp
Arc lamp
Xenon arc lamp
Mercury-xenon arc lamp
Ultra-high-performance lamp, an ultra-high-pressure mercury-vapor arc lamp for use
in projectors
Metal-halide lamp
Gas-discharge lamp, a light source that generates light by sending an electrical
discharge through an ionized gas
Fluorescent lamp
Compact fluorescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent
lamp
Neon lamp
Mercury-vapor lamp
Sodium-vapor lamp
Sulfur lamp
Electrodeless lamp, a gas discharge lamp in which the power is transferred from outside the
bulb to inside via electromagnetic fields
Uses other than illumination[edit]
Lamps can be used as heat sources, for example in incubators and toys such as the Easy-Bake
Oven.
Filament lamps have long been used as fast acting thermistors in electronic circuits. The filaments
are most likely made out of tungston. Popular uses have included:
Stabilisation of sine wave oscillators
Protection of tweeters
Automatic volume control in telephones
Lamp circuit symbols[edit]
In circuit diagrams lamps usually are shown as symbols. There are two main types of
symbols, these are:
Fluorescent lamp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fluorescent lamps
Top, two compact fluorescent lamps. Bottom, two fluorescent tube lamps. A matchstick, left, is shown
for scale, even though there is no standard size for a matchstick.



Typical F71T12 100 W bi-pin lamp used in tanning beds. Note the (Hg) symbol indicating it contains mercury. In the
US this symbol is now required on all fluorescent lamps that contain mercury.
[1]

One style of lamp holder for T12 and T8 bi pin fluorescent lamps
Inside the lamp end of a preheat bi-pin lamp. In this lamp the filament is surrounded by an oblong metal cathode
shield, which helps reduce lamp end darkening.
[2]

A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a low pressure mercury-vapor gas-discharge lamp that
uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercury vapor which


produces short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb to
glow. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical energy into useful light much more efficiently
than incandescent lamps. The luminous efficacy of a fluorescent light bulb can exceed 100 lumens
per watt, several times the efficacy of an incandescent bulb with comparable light output.
Fluorescent lamp fixtures are more costly than incandescent lamps because they require a ballast to
regulate the currentthrough the lamp, but the lower energy cost typically offsets the higher initial
cost. Compact fluorescent lamps are now available in the same popular sizes as incandescents and
are used as an energy-saving alternative in homes.
Because they contain mercury, many fluorescent lamps are classified as hazardous waste.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends that fluorescent lamps be
segregated from general waste for recycling or safe disposal.
[3]