Light. LED 2 Flashcards
“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:
a piece of solid matter. In the case of a traditional LED, that piece of matter is a semiconductor.
Stated very simply, an LED produces light when:
“electrons move around within its semiconductor structure.”
The problem with LEDs so far is that:
they tend to be much dimmer than incandescents or CFLs, and much more expensive.
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:
less energy is needed to make the bulb function. Beyond efficiency, LEDs simply last longer, outlasting even CFLs.
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.
gallium nitride based bulbs