Powering up a broken CFL

I had a broken CFL and decided to power it up to show the cathodes light up and make smoke, then I unplugged it and plugged it back in and pop, the white flash meant one of the cathodes broke!

Do not do this as it CAN be dangerous, so do it at your own risk if you are gonna do it anyway...

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• CFL
• compact
• fluorescent
• light
• pranks
• animation
• smoke
• flash
• bulb
• lamp
• broken
• plug
• power
• action
• cathodes
• science

[mrjustin5]

CFL's contain MERCURY - That is what makes them GLOW! Its in GAS form and when the CFL is broken, it goes into the air and onto whatever surface it broke upon.

It is recommended that you follow HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) procedures to clean this up.

NEVER stay in the room when a CFL breaks - ventilate the area! Open windows! LEAVE! etc. etc. for at least 15 minutes!

These are among the BARE MINIMUM you can do to NOT expose yourself to the most TOXIC METAL ON EARTH besides Uranium!

[jecwhiz]

@mrjustin5 Mercury isn't really as toxic as people make it out......you got mercury inside you if you got vaccine shot! ;-) Yes Sir!

Also I would be more afraid of the 1940s fluorescent being broken as they had even more toxic stuff than mercury which was the Zinc Beryllium!

The gas is Argon (sometimes Xeon is added in certain brands or types) and mercury vapors as it warms up....The phosphor is excited by the UV of the vapor. Without the phosphor...it would appear dimmer greenish blue color

[kenneykole]

@jecwhiz

NO, it still highly toxic.

[jecwhiz]

@kenneykole

It's really unknown in effect...but it's not as toxic as people hype about those days....it's a little excuse for marketing reasons and for the greenies....who STILL promote spirals which are mercury filled....not good for environment though...

[kenneykole]

@jecwhiz

And they are fire hazards.

[jecwhiz]

@kenneykole Yes they are fire hazards....never leave them on unattended....you are totally right about that.....although the older magnetic ballast ones from the 80s and early 90s were not fire hazards...they were much safer since they weren't using HIGH voltage (high in electrical terms, not as in 240 volt).....the magnetic ballast gave out 60 hz output while the electronic was MUCH higher eliminating the flicker and used higher voltage...

[TranCendenZ]

worryphree: You don't sound so "worry free". According to Consumer Reports, American Health, Prevention, and other health newsletters, amalgam is safe. You need to stop worrying, and you need to stop getting others to worry.

[rexmcnish]

@jecwhiz

Incorrect. Mercury shrivels up neurons that are in the vicinity of it. It is highly toxic and is basically a neuro toxin. Look up 'Brain Neuron Degeneration via Mercury' here on youtube. Disturbing stuff.

[Arembjorn]

What is this, the pro-mercury convention????

[stickedU]

@mrjustin5  they have the same amount of mercury that would fill the tip of a pen, settle down.

[stickedU]

@T3Asp00n CFL bulbs have the same amount of mercury that you would find on the tip of a pen.

[Lachlant1984]

@mewhor Fluorescent lights have been around for many years, so why is it that people get so damned worried about them only now, they're fat better for the environment than standard incandescent bulbs because the draw far less current and are far more efficient. All the fear mongering has to stop.

[mewhor]

Let's face it. . .our children's children will be born with three eyes--on both their heads.

[BenHutchinson1]

Should let it keep running till the filaments burn out.