Editing Neon lamp (section)

{{For|similar terms|Neon lighting|Neon sign}}
{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Short description|Light source based on gas discharge}}
[[File:AC powered NE-2 type neon lamp close-up.jpg|thumb|right|NE-2 type neon lamp powered by [[alternating current]] (AC)]]
[[File:Neon lamp schematics.svg|thumb|right|Neon lamp schematic symbol]]
A '''neon lamp''' (also '''neon glow lamp''') is a miniature [[gas-discharge lamp]]. The lamp typically consists of a small glass capsule that contains a mixture of [[neon]] and [[Penning mixture|other gases]] at a low pressure and two [[electrode]]s (an [[anode]] and a [[cold cathode|cathode]]). When sufficient voltage is applied and sufficient current is supplied between the electrodes, the lamp produces an orange [[glow discharge]]. The glowing portion in the lamp is a thin region near the cathode; the larger and much longer [[neon sign]]s are also glow discharges, but they use the [[Glow_discharge#Positive_column|positive column]] which is not present in the ordinary neon lamp. 

Neon glow lamps were widely used as [[Pilot_light#ON_OFF|indicator lamp]]s in the displays of electronic instruments and appliances. They are still sometimes used for their electrical simplicity in high-voltage circuits.