The flow of electrical current starts the вЂњhalogen cycle,вЂќ where the particles burning off the tungsten filament are then redeposited back onto the filament by the halogen inside the quartz capsule, allowing for these particles to be вЂњreused.вЂќ Reusing the particles gives the lamp a higher luminous efficacy and a longer life than incandescent lamps. This gas is inert and made up of iodine and bromine. The enhancement with halogen lamps is that the filament is enclosed in a quartz capsule filled withВ halogen gas. Just like with incandescent light bulbs, the electrical current enters the socket and travels up to the tungsten filament, heating up the filament to incandescence. Remember how incandescent light bulbs work? Halogens work very similarly.Д®lectrical current flows from the socket and makes contact with the base of the light bulb. Instead we call them a sub-category of incandescent light bulb family.

Because halogen lamps are only an enhancement of incandescent technology we donвЂ™t classify them as their own lamp family. We classify a light bulb by the technology it uses to produce artificial light. Halogen light bulbs have tungsten filaments housed in a quartz capsule and filled with iodine and bromine gases. Halogen is a type of lighting technology that is essentially an enhanced version of incandescent. Let's briefly define halogen light before we jump in. Understanding how the light bulb produces artificial light helps us (and you) pick out the right bulb for the right application.Understanding how the light bulb produces artificial light helps us (and you) to troubleshoot when scenarios go haywire.Д®xample: Did you know that some halogen and HID lamps look nearly identical? Knowing the differences in technology will help you quickly identify that you have a halogen lamp in a HID socket.LetвЂ™s answer those questions and dive into the pros and cons of halogen technology.Д«ut, before we begin, you may be thinking, вЂњSo, why do I need to know about technology and how does this knowledge benefit me?вЂќ I want to throw out a few advantages of understanding the technology before taking a deeper dive into the technology itself. How do halogen lamps emit artificial light? Where should you use halogen lamps? Where does halogen fit into the lighting industry?

Or perhaps you have heard them referred to as the lamps that have a bulb within bulb вЂ“ similar to a dream within a dream, huh? Eventually, a thin spot in the filament causes the filament to break, and the bulb 'burns out.You may have heard about the light bulbs that are too hot to handle. It doesn't last very long because the tungsten in the filament evaporates and deposits on the glass. Since the purpose of a light bulb is to generate light, the heat is wasted energy. It's not very efficient because, in the process of radiating light, it also radiates a huge amount of infrared heat - far more heat than light. See How Gas Lanterns Work for more information on incandescence.ДЄ normal light bulb is not very efficient, and it only lasts about 750 to 1,000 hours in normal use. Just like any hot metal, the tungsten gets 'white hot' at that heat and emits a great deal of visible light in a process called incandescence. Electricity heats this filament up to about 4,500 degrees F (2,500 degrees Celsius). At the center of the lamp is a tungsten filament. Inside the glass is a gas such as argon and/or nitrogen. A normal light bulb is made up of a fairly large, thin, frosted glass envelope. Let's start with a normal electric light bulb like you see in any normal household lamp.