halogen lamp

Also known as: tungsten-halogen lamp

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Or:: tungsten-halogen lamp

Related Topics:: filament lamp

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halogen lamp, Incandescent lamp with a quartz bulb and a gas filling that includes a halogen. It gives brilliant light from a compact unit. The halogen combines with the tungsten evaporated from the hot filament to form a compound that is attracted back to the filament, thus extending the filament’s life. The evaporated tungsten is also prevented from condensing on the bulb and darkening it, an effect that reduces the light output of ordinary incandescent lamps. First used in the late 1960s in motion-picture production, halogen lamps are now also used in automobile headlights, underwater photography, and residential lighting.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.