why are cfl bulbs swirly?

Question

why can't they be the shape regular light bulbs are?

Answer 1

CFL bulbs make light by passing an electric current through a gas. So they need long tubes to provide a long enough path. It's similar to the way the filaments in incandescent bulbs are often coiled up, but in a fluorescent light the tube itself acts as the filament..

Answer 2

this little bulb with the distinctive swirly shape really make such a big difference in reducing global warming? Absolutely. According to the U.S. Energy Star program, if every American home replaced just one standard incandescent light bulb with a long-lasting CFL, we would prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of 800,000 cars.
These bulbs still have a reputation of giving off that eerie blue or green fluorescent light that makes you look half-dead. Manufacturers now offer "soft white" or "warm white" CFLs. These provide light similar to that of incandescent bulbs.
CFLs are actually miniature fluorescent bulbs that work on the same theory as those long ones you see in store ceilings. The bulbs are filled with gas and contain a tiny amount of mercury inside the glass enclosure. The electricity travels from the socket, through a ballast in the base of the bulb, and the gas transfers it to the mercury which begins to emit invisible ultraviolet light. The light hits the phosphorescent coating on the inside of the bulb causing it to glow and voila, light. CFLs operate at only around 100 degrees and are more efficient, usually in the 40% range (note to everyone with children: don't put a CFl in their easy bake oven kit unless you want to hear about it from your kid). In addition, most of these bulbs are guaranteed for up to 8000 hours of use.

Answer 3

Simple answer: to make them compact