- A phosphor, a substance that exhibits sustained glowing after exposure to light or energised particles such as electrons, emits light in a narrow frequency range, unlike an incandescent filament, which emits the full spectrum.
- "Fluorescent lamps are usually operated on ac circuits with a frequency of 60 Hz(A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second). However, higher frequencies permit higher-efficiancy lamp operation along with ballasts of lower power dissipation per watt. Consequently, systems have been developed for the operation of fluorescent lamps at frequencies from 360 to 50,000 Hz. The most important high-frequency ballasts operate the lamps in the 25-kHz range, are lighter in weight, can have flicker-free light output, and will continue to be more cost-effective as the cost of electricity increases." http://www.answers.com/topic/hertz
- CFL's take about 30 seconds or more to reach full luminosity. Incandescent lightbulbs only take .1 seconds.
- CFL's do not fail suddenly like incandescent lightbulbs. Instead they take longer to achieve full luminosity, there are random periods of reduced brightness, and there is an appearance of growing black spots of the glass tubing inside.
- If CFL's are used outdoors in very cold weather, they can take several minutes to achieve full luminosity or may not turn on at all.
By Tara Walsh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp
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