[geeks] Losers.

Dave McGuire mcguire at neurotica.com
Tue Mar 26 18:12:37 CST 2002


On March 26, jeff borisch wrote:
> >  > Uhm, the incandescent bulbs flicker at 60Hz (in the US of A), just like
> >>  the fluorescents.  I'm not sure why it's so much more noticable on the
> >>  long fluorescent bulbs than on the CF, or the incandescents.
> >
> >I'll take your word for it - the finer points of electricity are not a
> >strong suit of mine.  I can't *see* the flicker the incandescant bulbs,
> >so in my mind they don't flicker.  However, now that I think about it,
> >they *must* - since 60hz is the rating of most (all?) electrical
> >circuits in the US.  Right?
> 
> Since the filament glows because of the current flowing through it, 
> wouldn't the intensity fall off periodically at the frequency of 
> 120Hz? once for every peak and once for every trough.
> 
> curious...

  Of course it does...but nowhere near as quickly as the mercury vapor
stops producing UV in a fluorescent tube.  After it stops, some amount
of time later the phosphors stop glowing...still much faster than a
filament cooling off.

      -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire                    "...it's leaving me this unpleasant,
St. Petersburg, FL                 damp feeling on my shorts..." -Sridhar



More information about the geeks mailing list