Which type of lighting requires a ballast to operate?

Fluorescent lighting requires a ballast to operate because the ballast regulates the electrical current flowing to the fluorescent lamp. It provides the necessary starting voltage and ensures that the lamp operates at the correct current once it ignites. The ballast is essential for initiating the fluorescence process, which occurs when electricity excites the mercury vapor inside the tube, producing ultraviolet light that is then converted into visible light by the phosphor coating inside the lamp.

In contrast, LED lighting operates on direct current and does not require a ballast; it may use a driver instead to convert AC to DC. Incandescent lighting operates using a simple resistive element (the filament) and does not need any additional components to regulate current. Halogen lighting, a type of incandescent lighting that operates at higher temperatures, also does not require a ballast.