Difference between sodium vapour lamp and mercury lamp
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Answer:
The light in Sodium Vapour lamp is from an atomic emission process whereas in Mercury Vapour Lamp it is, finally, from fluorescence emission.
The mechanism of light emission in a sodium vapour lamp is simple and straight-forward.
The filaments of the lamp sputter fast moving electrons, which hit the sodium atoms(vapour) causing the valence electrons of the sodium atoms to excite to higher energy levels and the electrons thus excited relax by emiting the characteristic monochromatic bright yellow light(589nm).
The mechanism in mercury vapour lamp is more involved and sequential. The sputtered electrons from the filaments, after having been accelerated by high voltage, hit the mercury atoms. Here also, the excited electrons of mercury atomsrelax by emitting characteristic but ultravilot(254nm,invisible) light.
The photons of this ultravilot light fall on the fluorescent layer on the inner walls of the tube and excite the molecular bonds of the fluorescent material to various electronic and vibrational energy states. Hence, the light from the mercury vapour lamp is white.
The basic difference between the two is, the former works by electric discharge (passage of electricity through sodium vapours at high/low pressure) while the latter works through the combined effect of electric discharge through mercury vapours and fluorescence from phosphors (luminescent materials). Although sodium vapour lamps produce much higher light output (about 90 lumens/watt) they cannot be used in lighting applications where colour-rendering property is very crucial
The difference between the sodium vapour lamp and mercury lamp are as follows :-
1.The light in Sodium Vapour lamp is from an atomic emission process whereas in Mercury Vapour Lamp it is, finally, from fluorescence emission.
2.The mechanism of light emission in a sodium vapour lamp is simple and straight-forward. The filaments of the lamp sputter fast moving electrons, which hit the sodium atoms(vapour) causing the valence electrons of the sodium atoms to excite to higher energy levels and the electrons thus excited relax by emiting the characteristic monochromatic bright yellow light(589nm). The mechanism in mercury vapour lamp is more involved and sequential. The sputtered electrons from the filaments, after having been accelerated by high voltage, hit the mercury atoms. Here also, the excited electrons of mercury atomsrelax by emitting characteristic but ultravilot(254nm,invisible) light.
3.The basic difference between the two is, the former works by electric discharge (passage of electricity through sodium vapours at high/low pressure) while the latter works through the combined effect of electric discharge through mercury vapours and fluorescence from phosphors (luminescent materials).