Why Tiny Crystals Glow Different Colors
Why do smaller crystals glow in different colors?
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Question 1 of 2What happens when you squeeze a tiny particle into a smaller space?
The story
Quarky finds a jar of glowing crystals, and the tiniest ones shine blue while the bigger ones shine red. How can size change color? Inside each crystal, electrons live in a tiny room. Squeeze the room smaller and the electron has to bounce with more energy, and more energy means bluer light. These little colored crystals are called quantum dots, and they are inside modern TV screens!
What you'll learn
- Squeezing a particle into a smaller space raises its energy
- More energy means bluer light, less energy means redder light
- Quantum dots change color with size, not with paint
- Quantum dots make TV screens brighter and more colorful
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