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Strobe light
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== Scientific explanation of flashtubes == Strobe lights usually use [[flashtube]]s with energy supplied from a [[capacitor]], an energy storage device much like a battery, but capable of charging and releasing energy much faster. In a capacitor-based strobe, the capacitor is charged up to around 300 V. Once the capacitor has been charged, to trigger the flash a small amount of power is diverted into a [[trigger transformer]], a small transformer with a high turns ratio. This generates the weak but high-voltage spike required to ionize the xenon gas in a flash tube. An [[Electric arc|arc]] is created inside the tube, which acts as a path for the capacitor to discharge through, allowing the capacitor to quickly release its energy into the arc. The capacitor's energy rapidly heats the xenon gas, creating an extremely bright plasma discharge, which is seen as a flash. A strobe without a capacitor storage device simply discharges mains voltages across the tube once it's fired. This type of strobe requires no charging time and allows for much quicker flash rates, but drastically reduces the lifetime of the flash tube if powered for significant periods of time. Such strobes require a form of [[current limiting]], without which the flash tube would attempt to draw high currents from the electricity source, potentially tripping [[Circuit breaker|electrical breakers]] or causing [[voltage drop]]s in the power supply line. The duration of a single flash depends on the particular strobe being used and its settings. Strobes for studio lighting often have a range of power settings. For a given strobe, higher light output corresponds to a longer flash duration. For example, the Flashpoint Rapid 1200 HSS Monolight <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.adorama.com/fplfrp1200b.html|title=Flashpoint Rapid 1200 HSS R2 2.4GHz Monolight - Bowens Mount (Godox QT1200IIM) RAPID-1200B|website=Adorama.com|access-date=19 April 2022}}</ref> has a flash duration as long as 5.6 ms (1/180 sec) at its highest output setting, or as short as 68 μs (1/14,814 sec) at its lowest output setting. Strobes with significantly shorter flash durations are commercially available, some with flash durations less than 1 μs. For example, the SPOT strobe by Prism Science Works provides a flash duration of order 0.5 μs<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prismscience.com/spot_specs.php|title = Prism Science Works|website=Prismscience.com}}</ref> Some strobes even offer continuous mode of operation whereby the arc is sustained, providing extremely high intensity light, but usually only for small amounts of time to prevent overheating and eventual breakage of the flash tube.
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