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Fluorescent lamps have a small amount of Mercury or another substance that when the lamp is started a very large arc of electricity is fired between the Cathode and Anode which vaporizes the Mercury. This then becomes a conductive vapor which allows the electrons to excite the phosphor coating and generate light. The cathode in this case must remain hot in order to keep the vapor from returning to it cold state as a liquid or semi-solid.
Cold Catode Lamps use a varity of gases, such as neon and argon, which when subjected to the elctrical field between the cathode and anode, excite and give off a certain color of light.
In both lamps the ballast generates a very large burst of electricity to creat the flow between the cathode and anode.
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