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In article <1992Oct11.163610.1@research.ptt.nl>, walvdrk_r@research.ptt.nl (Kees van der Wal) writes:
> In article <718623068.4@mailbox.bison.mb>, Jason.Goga@mailbox.bison.mb.ca
> (Jason Goga) writes: 
> 
>> In chemistry class the teacher was illustrating flouresent lighting, and

> 
> 1) The high voltage between the ends of tube cause a stream of electrons 
> rushing from one end to the other.
> 
> 2) The rushing electrons collide with the gas inside (Mercury?). The electrons 
> belonging to the gas are excited to higher energy levels. As this is an 
> unstable situation the electrons "fall down" to a stable position, emitting a 
> foton. This light is not very useful as it is very blue and contains a lot of 
> UV radiation.
> 
> 3) The UV radiation hits the phosphor at the inside of the tube. I don't know
> how it is done but a similar process in the phosphor "converts" the mainly 
> invisible radiation into visible and useful light. The type of phosphor 
> determines the colour of the light emitted by the tube.
> 

The UV radiation is of the correct engery to bring some of the electrons in the
phosphor up to a higher energy level. Then then bounce back down through a
different route of energy transistions emitting differnt frequency photons.
Here is a diagram.

4    _
          4a -

3    _    3a -
          2a _
2    _       
1    -

These are not at all acurate but lets say they are the energy level of the
atoms in the phosphor. The UV is high energy, short wavelenght high frequecy
light. It excites an electron in the 1 state up to the 4 state. This electron
can them come down in a couple of different ways. 4 to 4a 4 to 3a 4 to 3 4 to
2a 4 to 2. 4 to 1 would be forbidden. But it would come down in little jumps
emmiting lower energy photons each time. These lower energy photons would have
longer wavelengths... and lower frequencies. They would be, or some of them
would be in the visible spectrum. 

This is how I understand it at least. The energy states are defined by the
possible configurations of the electrons that can be predicted with from
emirical data from Ryberg's eqautions or from theory with the SCH eqation. I
will not go into those because they make my brain hurt even though I am
supposed to know them.  

> 
> Regards, <kees>
-- 

-ira

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