Difference between revisions of "Light Emitting Diode"

Revision as of 15:06, 28 February 2019

The symbol for a light emitting diode.

A light emitting diode (LED) is an electrical component which emits light when electricity passes through in one direction and prevents electricity from going in the reverse direction.

LEDs have a low resistance in one direction and emit light but a very high resistance in the reverse direction and do not emit light.

LEDs can be used to change an alternating current into a direct current.

The IV Graph for an LED shows that:

For a positive potential difference the current increases rapidly with an increase in potential difference
For a negative potential difference the current remains negligible and does not increase as the potential difference becomes larger.

The resistance of an LED is very low for current in the forward direction and very high in the back direction.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 : '''LEDs''' have a low [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] in one direction and [[emit]] [[light]] but a very high [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] in the reverse direction and do not [[emit]] [[light]].
 : '''LEDs''' can be used to change an [[Alternating Current|alternating current]] into a [[Direct Current|direct current]].
+===IV Graph===
+{| class="wikitable"
+|[[File:IVGraphDiode.png|center|400px]]
+|}
+====Description====
+The [[IV Graph]] for an '''LED''' shows that:
+*For a positive [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] the [[Electrical Current|current]] increases rapidly with an increase in [[Potential Difference|potential difference]]
+*For a negative [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] the [[Electrical Current|current]] remains negligible and does not increase as the [[Potential Difference|potential difference]] becomes larger.
+====Explanation====
+: The [[Electrical Resistance|resistance]] of an '''LED''' is very low for [[Electrical Current|current]] in the forward direction and very high in the back direction.