In incandescent lamps with tungsten filaments, the metal heats up to produce light without undergoing chemical reactions. However, in halogen lamps, iodine is added to the gas surrounding the filament, which reacts with tungsten at cooler quartz surfaces to form tungsten iodide. This tungsten iodide vaporizes and returns to the filament, where it decomposes back into tungsten and iodine, enhancing the lamp's longevity and allowing for higher operating temperatures. The discussion also touches on the Van Arkel-de Boer method as a related topic. Understanding these processes is crucial for grasping how halogen lamps function compared to traditional incandescent bulbs.