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Operation

Metal Halide Lamps produce light by passing an electric arc through a mixture of gases. The compact arc tube contains a high-pressure mixture of argon, mercury and metal halides. The mixture of halides affects the nature of light produced. It influences correlated colour temperature and intensity. The heat generated by the lamp vaporizes the mercury and metal halides. It produces light as the temperature and pressure increases.

Those lamps require auxiliary equipment to provide proper starting and operating voltages and regulate flow in the lamp.
Metal Halide Lamps are more efficient than fluorescent lamps as they produce light from about 24% of the energy.