Light. LED 2

Question 0

“An LED is what’s called a “solid-state lighting” technology, or SSL. Basically, instead of emitting light from a vacuum (as in an incandescent bulb) or a gas (as in a CFL), an SSL emits light from:

Answer 0

a piece of solid matter. In the case of a traditional LED, that piece of matter is a semiconductor.

Question 1

Stated very simply, an LED produces light when:

Answer 1

“electrons move around within its semiconductor structure.”

Question 2

The problem with LEDs so far is that:

Answer 2

they tend to be much dimmer than incandescents or CFLs, and much more expensive.

Question 3

It mainly comes down to energy efficiency. Incandescent bulbs waste most of their energy on heat, not light. A much higher percentage of energy going into an LED bulb is converted to light, which means:

Answer 3

less energy is needed to make the bulb function. Beyond efficiency, LEDs simply last longer, outlasting even CFLs.

Question 4

The newest LED bulbs to be developed - ________________- will last as long as 100,000 hours (equivalent to 60 years) and are three times as energy efficient as CFLs.

Answer 4

gallium nitride based bulbs