Mercury ARC Lamp Information
Mercury ARC lamps are lamps that use mercury and an inert gas to produce bright light at specific spectra. Mercury ARC lamps are most commonly used for fluorescence microscopy, a process used by scientists to study cells. Does this Spark an idea?
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Brightness
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According to Zeiss, a company that manufactures them, mercury ARC lamps are capable of producing light that is 10 to 100 times brighter than the incandescent lights used in homes.
Spectra of Light
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By using different filters, mercury ARC lamps can emit light at different spectra. This helps scientists isolate specific parts of cells and study their behavior.
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Applications
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Scientists use mercury ARC lamps for a wide variety of purposes, including the study of cell behavior, diagnosis of disease and monitoring the environment.
Life
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Mercury ARC lamps typically have a lifespan of about 200 hours of use. They are considered unusable when they begin to produce cloudy images.
Care
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According to the Gonda Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center at UCLA, the lifespan of Mercury ARC lamps can often be prolonged with proper care. It is recommended that ARC lamps be burned for a minimum of thirty minutes once ignited. Mercury ARC lamps should never be turned on if they are warm.
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