Why won't my LEDs light up with 9V and 60 Ohm resistance?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the failure of a series of five LEDs to light up when powered by a 9V battery with a 60 Ohm resistor. Each LED has a forward voltage (VF) of 3.2V, totaling 16V for five LEDs in series, which exceeds the available 9V supply. The insufficient voltage prevents the LEDs from conducting, resulting in no illumination. The key takeaway is that the applied voltage must meet or exceed the total forward voltage of the LEDs for them to function properly.

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John Readman
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Hi, I am trying to wire some leds up. There are 5 of them in series VF typ 3.2 V and 30mA. I am using a 9V square battery. 60 Ohm of resistance and an on off switch. Yet it does not light up. Is this because I do not have enough voltage??

P.S. Yes the switch is on!

Thanks,

Johnny
 
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Well here's a hint, what's 5 times 3.2? It's a lot more than 9 right!

LED's are very different than say something like a normal light globe in that they don't even start to conduct until the applied voltage is quite close to the rated voltage. So if the LED's nominal operating voltage is 3.2 volts then it's a pretty good bet that the current at say 2.0 volts will be very nearly zero. The result = no light.
 

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