page_title: Fluorescent lamp
section_title: The ballast
hierarchical_section_title: Fluorescent lamp / The ballast
caption_attribution_description: English: Electronic ballast for 15W Русский: Электронный балласт для 15-ваттной ЛДС
context_page_description: A fluorescent lamp, is a type of electric light that uses ultraviolet emitted by mercury vapor to excite a phosphor, which emits visible light. There are two general types, traditional fluorescent and compact fluorescent.
  The purchase price of a fluorescent lamp is often much higher than an incandescent lamp of the same output, and the light from fluorescent lamps looks different to light from incandescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps have a longer rated life and use less energy than an incandescent lamp of the same brightness. A fluorescent lamp can save over US$30 in electricity costs over the lamp’s lifetime compared to an incandescent lamp.
context_section_description: The ballast prevents too much electricity from flowing through the tube. It also starts the lamp with a high voltage for a split second when it is switched on. The ballast is located inside the fixture in traditional fluorescent tube fixtures. In compact fluorescent bulbs the ballast is in or near the base of the bulb. There are two types of ballasts, magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts have mostly fallen out of use, as they are less efficient than electronic ballasts, they cause the bulb to flicker, and they do not start instantly. Electronic ballasts were at one time more expensive than magnetic ballasts, but now the price is about the same.
caption: An electronic ballast
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