What is the difference between incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs?

Incandescent lightbulbs have an electrical circuit that passes through a tungsten wire. As the electricity flows, the tungsten is heated up to a point where it emits light waves. Gases (xenon, I think) help sustain the wire until it breaks. This is when the light stops and needs to be replaced. (the tungsten also emits heat when lit) Incandescent lights have the full spectrum of colors. Fluorescent bulbs are filled with a gas and a bit of Mercury. Electricity gives the ions in the gas energy, which is released in the form of light. This method sustains the bulb far longer than an incandescent lightbulb. Fluorescents release much less heat, making them more energy efficient. However, the spectrum of the fluorescent bulb is missing a few colors of the spectrum, which makes the spectrum look cool and incredibly weird.

A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb to fluoresce (glow), producing visible light.