- Light fixtures, whether a ceiling-mounted light or a table top lamp, all feature the same basic elements: a hot and neutral wire, a switch, a socket and a light bulb.
-
In a ceiling light fixture, the neutral line is connected directly to the fixture's socket. The hot line gets wired to the switch with the traveler leg coming off of the other side of the switch and connected with the feed leg of the socket.
In a table lamp setup, both the hot and the neutral get connected to the switch, but in their correct locations. This is because the switch is part of the socket.
In both cases, when you turn the switch on, it completes the circuit which allows the voltage to flow through to the light bulb. -
As the voltage flows into the bulb, it is forced through a small element. Because this element is small, it creates resistance, which in turn creates heat. The resistance heats up the element causing it to glow. The resultant glow is the light we get from the bulb.
Inside the glass of the bulb, there is very little air. If there were air inside the bulb, the element would dissolve immediately. But because of the lack of air, the resistance is controlled so the element glows but doesn't break, at least not for a while. -
Fluorescent tubes follow a similar path as incandescent bulbs. However, in fluorescent bulbs, the electricity moves through the tube in a series of pulses. Inside the tube are molecules that interact with the electricity.
As the electricity comes in contact with these molecules, it blasts away their electrons, which creates light as it occurs. In the case of fluorescent light, the light is created by the electricity and not by heat which is why fluorescent tubes remain much cooler to the touch than incandescent light bulbs.
