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Fluorescent vs Phosphorescent - What's the difference?

fluorescent | phosphorescent |

As adjectives the difference between fluorescent and phosphorescent

is that fluorescent is of or relating to fluorescence while phosphorescent is having the property of emitting light for a period of time after the source of excitation is taken away, e.g., in electrostatic storage tubes and cathode-ray tubes.

As nouns the difference between fluorescent and phosphorescent

is that fluorescent is a fluorescent light while phosphorescent is a phosphorescent substance.

fluorescent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or relating to fluorescence
  • Exhibiting or produced by fluorescence
  • The fluorescent plants shimmered in the darkness.
  • Emitting visible light as a result of the excitation of phosphors by ultraviolet photons produced by the passage of an electrical current through an inert gas infused with mercury.
  • The quality of fluorescent lighting technology has improved dramatically in recent years.
  • Glowing as if with fluorescence; vivid
  • Her shirt was fluorescent orange.

    Derived terms

    * fluorescent lamp * fluorescent tag * green fluorescent protein

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A fluorescent light
  • The fluorescents hummed day and night.

    See also

    * incandescent

    phosphorescent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the property of emitting light for a period of time after the source of excitation is taken away, e.g., in electrostatic storage tubes and cathode-ray tubes.
  • * 1961 , William S. Burroughs, The Soft Machine , page 11
  • So he imports this special breed of scorpions and feeds them on metal meal and the scorpions turned a phosphorescent blue color and sort of hummed.

    Derived terms

    *phosphorescence *phosphorescently

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A phosphorescent substance.
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