Neon Light
Like florescent lights,
neon lights produce their light through electroluminescence-a
high voltage forces current through the gas which excites it and
causes it to emit light. However, unlike common florescent lights,
the gases in neon lights produce visible light so there is no need
for a phosphor coating. Although they are commonly referred to as
"neon" lights, they may contain other gases instead, and
so they are also called electric discharge lamps, or vapor lamps.
A list of common colors and the gases associated with them is below:
| To obtain |
Use |
| red-orange |
neon |
| blue |
mercury |
| green |
mercury vapor |
| gold |
helium in amber tube |
| yellow |
sodium |
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