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We have all heard that fluorescent bulbs are more efficient than incandescent ones, but why? Fluorescent bulbs utilize a more energy efficient process of producing the light that we see. The main difference between incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting is in the process of stimulating the atoms. Incandescent light bulbs excite atoms through the introduction of heat, resulting in an excess of unused heat energy. Fluorescent light bulbs, on the other hand, utilize a chemical reaction to excite atoms without the same excess heat energy. Both types of bulbs create ultraviolet light, which is not visible to humans. But only fluorescent bulbs utilize a substance that converts the ultraviolet light to visible light, resulting in less wasted energy.