How Tiny Quantum Jumps Make LEDs
What makes an LED light up?
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Question 1 of 2What makes the light inside an LED?
The story
Quarky takes apart a flashlight and finds a tiny LED chip inside. When electricity flows in, electrons hop down an energy step and each hop pops out one photon of light. The size of the step decides the color, which is why some LEDs are red and others are blue. Because almost all the energy becomes light instead of heat, LEDs are super efficient and last for years.
What you'll learn
- Electrons jumping down energy steps create photons
- The size of the jump sets the color of the light
- LEDs turn electricity into light very efficiently
- Less wasted heat means longer lasting bulbs
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