Listed below are the various technical terms used in lighting
Arc Tube
Ballast
Bayonet Cap​
An arc tube is a crucial component found in various types of lamps, particularly high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. It is a sealed chamber made of materials like quartz or ceramic, designed to withstand high temperatures and maintain a controlled environment.
Candlepower
Cap or Base
An electrical ballast is a device placed in series with discharge lamps to limit the lamp current within set limits. They can be passive (inductor) or electronic types.
A type of bulb, also known as CFL, that is used as an energy efficient alternative to incandescent lighting. CFLs are fluorescent tubes turned into more compact shapes (hence their name). However, LED lights have a longer lifespan and use less electricity, so are quickly becoming more popular than CFLs and incandescent bulbs.
This indicates how clearly a light bulb replicates the colour of objects it is illuminating. It works on a scale of 1-100, and the higher the rating, the more faithfully that colours are reproduced. High CRI bulbs are mainly used for photography and exhibition purposes, where it is important that colours are accurately reproduced.
A measure of how warm or cold a white light source appears. Warm light sources offer a softer, yellower light, while cool light bulbs emit a bluer, more intense light. Colour temperature is measured in Kelvins (K), and the lower the number, the warmer the light. A typical warm white light bulb for the home will range between 2700K-3200K, while cool white bulbs can be anything above 4000K. See here for more information about colour temperature.
Control Gear
Filament
GLS Lamp
Candlepower (abbreviated as cp or CP) is a unit of measurement for luminous intensity. It expresses levels of light intensity relative to the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents. The historical candlepower is equal to 0.981 candelas.
A kind of glass used as a reflector in some LED lights. It acts as a filter, letting visible light pass forward, and reflecting infrared light backwards. This means less heat is directed towards the subject of the lamp.
The thin wire enclosed in incandescent bulbs that generates light (and heat) when a current is passed through it. The filament is a delicate component and is usually the main reason an incandescent light bulb fails. LED bulbs do not use filaments, although there are some available that are designed to mimic the look of traditional incandescent bulbs.
The ‘classic’ light bulb shape, a pear-shaped lamp, tapering to a narrow base. Stands for General Lighting Service. They are currently available in wattages from 15w to 500w.
Used to describe the efficiency of a light source. It compares light output (measured in lumens) to the amount of power used (measured in watts). This gives you a lumens per watt rating (lm/w). LED lights have a very high lm/w rating.
The oldest kind of electrical light bulb. Incandescents are very inefficient, as 90% of the energy they produce is lost to heat. Because they get so hot, incandescent lights can be considered a fire hazard. Incandescent bulbs also have a short life span.
A term used to describe the colour temperature of a particular type of bulb. Warm light sources offer a softer, yellower light suited to relaxed spaces like living rooms and bedrooms. Warm white bulbs typically have a colour temperature between 2700K-3200K. See here for more information about colour temperatures.