Mercury-vapor lamp
= Mercury-vapor lamp
{wiki}
A <mercury-vapor lamp> excites <Mercury> atoms in an electrical discharge and collects the <light> emitted as they relax. Its output contains characteristic <spectral lines>; the lamp's pressure and construction affect their widths and the balance between lines and background.
A <spectroscope> separates those lines, making the lamp useful for <wavelength> references and optical excitation. Some emitted <ultraviolet radiation> can excite a <phosphor>, which converts it into a broader visible output. The observed spectrum then depends on the discharge, envelope transmission and any conversion coating; it is not simply the isolated-atom spectrum at every operating condition.