Book 13, Question 110
Why Can One Tiny LED Shine Red, Green, or Blue?
An LED is a tiny chip that glows when electricity flows through it! The chemicals inside the chip decide the color of the glow. So one kind of chip glows red, another green, and another blue.
More fun facts
- Each simple LED gives off one color of light.
- Devices can combine tiny red, green and blue LEDs into one light.
- Mixing red, green and blue at different strengths makes a huge range of colors.
- White LEDs, like in streetlights, give off a mix of colors.
- Red and green LEDs need more energy than blue ones.
Sources: Scientific American, U.S. Department of Energy, BBC
Questions kids ask
How can one bulb change color?
It holds red, green and blue LEDs and changes how bright each one is.