Question

Explain how light is produced in the fluorescent light tube about your head using the quantum theory model.

TYY!!!

Answer 1

Fluorescent light tube is a low pressure mercurry vapor gas discharge lamp that uses fluorescence to produce visible light. An electric current in the gas excites mercurry vapor, which produces short wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of lamp to glow.

The fundamental means for conversion of electrical energy into radiant energy relies on inelastic scattering of electrons when an incident electron collides with an atom in the gas. If the free electron has enough kinetic energy, it transfers energy to the atom's outer electron causing that electron to temporarily jump up to higher energy level. The higher energy level is unstable and the atom will emit an ultraviolet photon as the atom's electron reverts to a lower , more stable energy level. The ultraviolet photons are absorbed by the electrons in the atoms of fluorescent coating causing a similar energy jump, then drop .The photons emitted by second interaction have lower energy and hence visible to human eye.