What is the process called where light is produced by passing an electric current through a gas?

The correct answer, which is the process where light is produced by passing an electric current through a gas, is known as electric discharge. This process occurs when an electric current flows through a gas, ionizing the gas and causing it to emit light as the ions and electrons recombine. This phenomenon is commonly observed in neon lights and other types of gas discharge lamps, where the light emitted is most often colored based on the type of gas used.

Understanding this concept is essential, as it differentiates electric discharge from other light-producing mechanisms such as incandescence, which relies on heating a material until it glows, or reflection and refraction, which are processes related to the change in direction of light rather than the production of light itself.