Lights or illumination are used for aesthetic purposes. Lights are both artificial as well as natural. Natural lights, also called daylight, are used in shelves, windows etc., to capture energy so that they can be used in the nighttime.
Lights are used to enhance the performance of a task, provides psychological effect etc. Artificial lights include lightning fixtures such as LEDs, Fluorescence, Incandescent, CFL, Tubelights etc.
Key Takeaways
- LED lights are more energy-efficient and longer-lasting than fluorescent lights.
- LED lights emit less heat than fluorescent lights and are available in a wider range of colors.
- Fluorescent lights are generally cheaper than LED lights but may contain hazardous materials and emit UV radiation.
LED Lights vs Fluorescent
The difference between LED Lights and Fluorescent is that Fluorescent are cost-effective. It is very convenient to use. It is all in one light that can be used for all the different purposes such as in the garage, ceiling, lamps etc. While LED lights last longer. Their lifespan is much longer as compared to Fluorescent. They are energy efficient. It has a brightness that stays till it lasts.
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LED Lights or also called electric lights. LED means it is a light-emitting diode. LED produces lights using these diodes only. LED lights are more efficient, and they save a lot of energy. LEDs are equal to Incandescent lamps.
Their life span is very long. LED lights give full brightness, and it doesn’t warm up also. The market for LEDs lights has grown tremendously and has become a billion-dollar industry. It was developed in the 1960s.
Fluorescent are lights that absorb lights through electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. Fluorescent lights have a longer wavelength but the light emitted from them is very low. Energy is also very low.
The process of fluorescence happens when UV lights are absorbed. Fluorescence substance can only be seen in ultraviolet lights. It has many applications in our practical life, like it is used in medicine, gemology, cathode ray tube, vacuum displays, dyes, mineralogy etc.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | LED Lights | Fluorescent |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | It is expensive concerning other lights. | It is cost-effective. |
| Lifespan | It can last up to 50,000 hours. | It can last up to 10,000 hours. |
| Efficiency | It is extremely efficient and hassle-free. | It emits UV lights and contains mercury. |
| Direction | It is one-directional. | It is omnidirectional. |
| Applications | It is used in signs, traffic lights, indoor and outdoor lighting etc. | It is used in medicine, gemology, cathode ray tube etc. |
What is LED Lights?
LED lights are electric bulbs that consist of two electrodes, i.e., cathodes and anodes. In LED, electricity flows in only one direction from anode to cathode. LED lights are solid-state technology, and it emits electromagnetic radiations.
Unlike Fluorescent, it doesn’t absorb UV lights and waste energy. LEDs are energy efficient, adaptable, have a very long life up to 50,000 hours to 1,00,000 hours. They also provide high-quality lights. Although they are expensive with regard to other lightning options.
But their maintenance cost is very low and is hassle-free. LEDs require very few accessories, and they can also be designed in a variety of colours like blue, green, red etc., unlike conventional lightning of yellow colour. They emit light at 180 degrees.
LED lights are very much smaller, and they don’t warm up easily regardless of how many times you switch them on or off. LED lights are perfect to use because they respond instantly.
It is very easy to dim LED lights, and their brightness continues. It produces a very small amount of visible lights. It is shocking resistive, which means it is very difficult to damage LED bulbs/lights.
It has a cold tolerance of -40 degrees Celsius and heat tolerance of 100 degrees celsius. It has a warranty of about 5 to 10 years. It is used commonly in schools, gymnasium, road lighting, traffic lights, lighted signs, circuit boards of computers etc.
What is Fluorescent?
Fluorescent is a type of lights that consists of gas discharge light. CFL also is a type of fluorescent light. It stands for compact fluorescent light. Fluorescent contains tubes inside it and mercury as well.
They are longer and bigger in comparison to LED lights. It emits light by releasing UV light which in turn is generated by the electrical charge present inside the tube. Fluorescent light only consists of an electrode, and it requires ignition.
It requires a lot of voltage if fluorescent bulbs are larger in size. It requires a warm-up period as it doesn’t start instantly or rapidly. To counter voltage in fluorescent flights, it has a ballast to balance.
As it becomes old and ages, fluorescent light requires more and more voltage, and it dims with time. It is very less efficient. Fluorescent lights have been there for almost 100 years, and it is very efficient for covering lighting in the vast area as it is omnidirectional.
It is cost-effective, but maintenance charges are very high. The phenomenon of fluorescence was first observed by Bernardino de Sahagún in the year 1560. Many natural compounds emit fluorescent lights, such as greeneye, firefly, anglerfish etc.
Fluorescent lights are more energy-efficient when compared to incandescent lights. It was first made available in 1939, and since then, it is improving with longer life, better phosphors, easy to use shapes and consistent internal discharge.
Main Differences Between LED Lights and Fluorescent
- LED lights are expensive concerning other lights but have low maintenance. Fluorescent is cost-effective and has high maintenance.
- LED lights can last up to 50,000 hours to 1,00,000 hours. Fluorescent can last up to 10,000 hours.
- LED lights are extremely energy efficient, no warm-up system and are hassle-free. Fluorescent emits UV lights and contains poisonous mercury, and are not energy efficient.
- LED lights are one-directional, i.e. 180 degrees. Fluorescent is omnidirectional and spreads light in a vast area.
- LED lights are used in signs, traffic lights, indoor and outdoor lighting etc. Fluorescent is used in medicine, gemology, cathode ray tube etc.
- https://www.osapublishing.org/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-16-23-18692
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119310727
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
