Question about fluorescent lamp

[stevia]

I want to know what kind of fluorescent pigment in the fluorescence lamp. And whether it is the same as the ultraviolet lamp? Thank you.

[swansont]

It's not a pigment, per se. There's a mercury vapor, which gives off UV, and a phosphor which fluoresces when excited by the UV.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp#Phosphor_composition

[Phi for All]

The phosphor is the white coating on the inside of the glass tube of a fluorescent lamp. It reacts as swansont mentioned, and so it blocks UV light as well.

 

On an ultraviolet lamp, or a black light, there's usually a dark purple filter that eliminates most of the visible spectrum and lets the UV light through. The color is usually part of the glass tube or is part of an inner glass tube (not sealed) within a clear tube (sealed).

[stevia]

It's not a pigment, per se. There's a mercury vapor, which gives off UV, and a phosphor which fluoresces when excited by the UV.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp#Phosphor_composition

 

Thank you, so does that means the phosphor is not a kind of pigment? Is it the isolation of the UV?

The phosphor is the white coating on the inside of the glass tube of a fluorescent lamp. It reacts as swansont mentioned, and so it blocks UV light as well.

 

On an ultraviolet lamp, or a black light, there's usually a dark purple filter that eliminates most of the visible spectrum and lets the UV light through. The color is usually part of the glass tube or is part of an inner glass tube (not sealed) within a clear tube (sealed).

Thank you! Does that means the light of ultraviolet lamp is visible because the color of the glass tube?

[swansont]

Thank you, so does that means the phosphor is not a kind of pigment? Is it the isolation of the UV?

Thank you! Does that means the light of ultraviolet lamp is visible because the color of the glass tube?

 

It's not considered a pigment, because a pigment's color comes from reflection of white light — the material reflects a particular color (or combination of coors) and absorbs the rest. The fluorescence comes from light absorption and subsequent re-emission at lower energies. It wouldn't necessarily look the same if you shined white light at it.

 

The UV lamp light looks purple because that's the part of the visible spectrum that's transmitted, owing to the color of the glass. You can't actually see the UV.

[stevia]

 

It's not considered a pigment, because a pigment's color comes from reflection of white light — the material reflects a particular color (or combination of coors) and absorbs the rest. The fluorescence comes from light absorption and subsequent re-emission at lower energies. It wouldn't necessarily look the same if you shined white light at it.

 

The UV lamp light looks purple because that's the part of the visible spectrum that's transmitted, owing to the color of the glass. You can't actually see the UV.

Thank you sooo much! Your answers help me a lot!