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What are LED lights?

LED lights are the best kind of lighting system in the market right now,
they have had a huge impact on lighting technology and they have a fascinating
history. In 1962 the engineer Nick Holonyak invented the LED lights, visible to
everyone; although LED lights are tiny, they have lots of jobs in todays
technological world. LEDS have a very unique way of function. Without LED
lights many technological advances would not have been possible today.
Starting with a bit of history, in 1962 the engineer Nick Holonyak
invented the visible LED light.1 Nick Holonyak was a consulting engineer for
General Electric Company.2 What Nick had just invented was a visible red LED
light. Nick used gallium arsenide phosphide as substrate for the diode.3 The first
color of visible LED light was red, invented by Nick Holonyak; after him came
many others trying to invent other colors, which they actually did.
Second of all, LED lights have so many jobs to do in todays technological
world4; in this case size is not the problem. LED lights are everywhere; you may
not see them but they are there. They are in your phones, computers, televisions,
1

Bellis, Mary. "LED- Light Emitting Diode." About Money. About.com, n.d. Web. 26
Nov. 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Finventors.about.com%2Fod%2Flstartinventions%2Fa%
2FLed.htm>.

Ibid.
Ibid.
4 Harris, Tom, and Wesley Fenlon. "How Light Emitting Diodes Work."
2
3

HowStuffWorks. N.p., 31 Jan. 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.

<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/led.htm>.

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plasma television, outside your house, on the streets, in the cars; they are just
everywhere. Now a days everything is more competition based, companies are
now playing the one with more LED lights on a device, car, television, etc. wins!
For scientists, size doesnt matter neither does for companies, what really
matters is that what they have just invented works just fine.
Although LED lights are small in size they have such a unique and special
way of functioning. LED lights work in such unique way that no type of light
works or illuminates like and LED. An incandescent light bulb works by the
running of electricity inside the bulb through a filament. The filament heats up
and glows5, it kind of a chemical reaction, the filament starts deteriorating
meanwhile being used, this is why the incandescent light bulbs or lights never
work as long as LED lights. LEDs form part of a new type of lighting, which is
called solid-state lighting. Since the incandescent bulbs work by heating up,
obviously it surrounding will be very hot; LED lights dont go through the same
heating process and that is why they are not hot. In a single bulb, there could be
more than one LED bulb since they are small and they fight everywhere.6 The
process by which LEDS work is electroluminescence effect, this means that some
materials are made to emit light when energy is applied to them (electrons
moving around in a semiconductor material or a nonmetal).7 There is a whole

Harris, Tom, and Wesley Fenlon. "How Light Emitting Diodes Work."
HowStuffWorks. N.p., 31 Jan. 2002. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/led.htm>.

6
7

Ibid.
Ibid.

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scientific explanation of how LED lighting works, but keeping it simple is way
more preferable.
Now a days technology is speeding up and we, as buyers have to fasten
our seat belts to be ready. LED lights were a huge impact on human lighting, and
now, 50 years later they still are. In a single blink new technology will arrive and
we should be prepared for it. LEDs are now everywhere; you might think they
are not there, but these tiny bulbs of emitting diode are everywhere, even on
your phones.