A Clear LED emitting different coloured light?

  • Thread starter Johnahh
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Led Light
In summary, the color of an LED is determined by the band gap in the semiconductor material it is made from, and multi-color LEDs have multiple LEDs of different materials within one package. The brightness can be varied by controlling the current, similar to how computer or TV displays work. To fully understand this, knowledge of how our eyes perceive color is necessary. For a more in-depth explanation of the semiconductor materials used in LEDs, refer to the link provided.
  • #1
Johnahh
88
0
Am I right in thinking the chip controlling the LED is applying more or less power to make electrons go to different energy levels to emit different colours of light?
If anyone could clear this up for me it would be much appreciated.
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #2
The color of an LED is determined by the properties of the chip producing the light, not the color of the plastic cover.
 
  • #3
Thanks for the reply but what properties affect the colour? I was after the fundamentals of how the LED works.
Thanks
 
  • #4
The basic property is the band gap in the semiconductor material that the LED is made from. Multi color LEDs have several LEDs made from different materials inside one package. Each one has a fixed color, but the brightness can be varied by controlling the current through it.

This is the same principle as the way computer or TV displays work, by changing the brightness of the red green and blue components of the light to produce the effect of any color.

To fully understand how this works, you also need to know how the eye (and brain!) detects the light and "decides" what color it is.
 
  • #5

1. How does a clear LED emit different colored light?

A clear LED emits different colored light by utilizing a process called electroluminescence. This is when an electric current passes through a semiconductor material, causing it to release energy in the form of light. The color of the light emitted depends on the type of semiconductor material used, as well as the amount of current passing through it.

2. What are the different colors that a clear LED can emit?

A clear LED can emit a wide range of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white. This is achieved by using different types of semiconductor materials, each with their own unique light-emitting properties.

3. How is the color of a clear LED determined?

The color of a clear LED is determined by the bandgap energy of the semiconductor material used. This is the amount of energy required for an electron to jump from the valence band to the conduction band, resulting in the emission of light. Different bandgap energies correspond to different colors of light.

4. Can the color of a clear LED be changed?

Yes, the color of a clear LED can be changed by altering the amount of current passing through it. This is known as current tuning and is often used in RGB LEDs, where red, green, and blue LEDs are combined to produce a wide range of colors.

5. What are some applications of clear LEDs emitting different colored light?

Clear LEDs emitting different colored light have a wide range of applications, including traffic lights, display screens, automotive lighting, and decorative lighting. They are also commonly used in electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and TVs.

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
323
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Optics
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Optics
Replies
10
Views
893
Back
Top