What is a compact fluorescent lamp?
Q: What is a compact fluorescent lamp?
A: A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is a type of light bulb designed to fit into the same socket as an incandescent bulb, but with the advantages of a fluorescent lamp.
Q: How do CFLs differ from incandescent lamps?
A: CFLs have a longer rated life and use less energy than an incandescent lamp of the same brightness, but their purchase price is often higher and the light they produce looks different.
Q: How much money can a CFL save compared to an incandescent lamp?
A: A CFL can save over US$30 in electricity costs over the lamp’s lifetime compared to an incandescent lamp.
Q: Why does a CFL use less energy than an incandescent lamp?
A: CFLs use less energy than incandescent lamps because they emit light through fluorescence, rather than heat.
Q: What is the role of the ballast in a CFL?
A: The ballast in a CFL prevents too much electricity from flowing through the tube, and is usually in the plastic base of the bulb.
Q: What is a self-ballasted lamp?
A: A self-ballasted lamp is a CFL where the ballast is in the bulb itself.
Q: What type of ballasts are most frequently found in CFLs?
A: Most CFLs contain electronic ballasts.
