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Phosphorescent vs Incandescent - What's the difference?

phosphorescent | incandescent |

As adjectives the difference between phosphorescent and incandescent

is that phosphorescent is having the property of emitting light for a period of time after the source of excitation is taken away, eg, in electrostatic storage tubes and cathode-ray tubes while incandescent is emitting light as a result of being heated.

As nouns the difference between phosphorescent and incandescent

is that phosphorescent is a phosphorescent substance while incandescent is an lamp or bulb.

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

    Related terms

    *phosphor *phosphoresce *phosphoroscope

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A phosphorescent substance.
    • ----

    incandescent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • emitting light as a result of being heated
  • shining very brightly
  • * '>citation
  • showing intense emotion, as of a performance, etc.

    • Related terms

    * incandescence * incandescently

    Derived terms

    * incandescent lamp

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An lamp or bulb
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=March 1, author=Matthew L. Wald, title=Room to Improve, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=Compact fluorescents are typically rated at 7,500 to 10,000 hours, and incandescents at about 1,500 hours. }}

    See also

    * fluorescent ----