What is a lighting ballast used for?

Lighting ballasts control the flow of electricity in a fluorescent lighting system. The ballast provides the optimum voltage to start the light and regulates the current once it is started. This prevents the light from overheating. Ballasts are responsible for the humming noise people associate with fluorescent lights.

Developed for commercial use during the 1930's, the fluorescent light can be used for both indoor and outdoor lighting. Housed inside a glass tube, fluorescent lights are energy efficient. They provide a diffused light that limits harsh shadows. Fluorescent lighting is better for illuminating close objects than for objects at a distance.