What is the use of choke coil fitted to fluorescent tubes ?

A choke coil, also known as an inductive ballast, is a critical component in fluorescent tube circuits. Fluorescent lamps exhibit a phenomenon called 'negative differential resistance,' meaning that as the current increases, the resistance of the gas discharge decreases [t6]. Without a control mechanism, the current would continue to rise indefinitely until the lamp is destroyed [t6]. The choke coil uses inductive reactance to offer significant opposition to alternating current (AC), effectively limiting and controlling the current to prevent it from rising to dangerous levels [t1][t7]. Additionally, during the starting phase, the choke works with a starter to generate a high-voltage 'kick' or spike (around 1000V) to ionize the gas and initiate the discharge [t1][t7]. Once operational, its primary steady-state function is to act as a ballast to maintain the current at safe, stable levels [t1][t4].