Ever wonder how your PC works? How about claymore mines? Blogs? Wanna learn about stuff? They cover: Computer Stuff Auto Stuff Electronics Stuff Science Stuff Home Stuff Health Stuff Money Stuff Travel Stuff People Stuff from "How Black Lights Work" by Tom Harris When energized, mercury atoms emit energy in the form of light photons. They emit some visible light photons, but mostly they emit photons in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelength range. UV light waves are too short for us to see -- they are completely invisible -- so fluorescent lamps have to convert this energy into visible light. They do this with a phosphor coating around the outside of the tube. Phosphors are substances that give off light -- or fluoresce -- when they are exposed to light. When a photon hits a phosphor atom, one of the phosphor's electrons jumps to a...