Re: Frustrating Flicker in Fluorescents (WAS: Season misconceptions innewspaper)

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

Thanks for the heads up.  I was not aware of this particular
technological development.  At a local AAPT meeting it was mentioned by
one of the workshop leaders that you could use modern fluorescents to
demonstrate strong spectral lines because they lacked the coating, and I
just filed the information away, but did not check it.  Who has time to
check everything.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> John Clement wrote:
> > Many fluorescents apparently now lack the actual fluorescent layer.
> > They emit extremely strong spectral lines, unlike older tubes which
show
> > weaker lines.  Teachers on a budget can use these to demonstrate
> > spectral lines rather than buying expensive gas tubes.
>
> The fluorescent coatings are still very much there, but there has been
a
> change of strategy by the lamp manufacturers.
>
> Every fluorescent lamp coating is a mixture of different phosphors,
each
> radiating in a specific band of frequencies.  The old strategy was to
> try to create a broad spectrum by using broad-band phosphors radiating
> many different "colors", thus trying to somewhat duplicate a "normal"
> spectrum (e.g., sunlight).  Unfortunately, this strategy hasn't worked
> as well as hoped and fluorescent lighting has become infamous for
> off-color tones such as slightly ghoulish green and yellow casts.
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