Data Sheet

6/30/2015 LightemittingDiodes(LEDs)learn.sparkfun.com
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/lightemittingdiodesleds?_ga=1.43468261.1900427809.1434378181 2/13
devicesandotherlowpowerapplications.Don’tcountthemoutofthehighpowergame,though.
HighintensityLEDshavefoundtheirwayintoaccentlighting,spotlightsandevenautomotive
headlights!
Areyougettingthecravingyet?ThecravingtoputLEDsoneverything?Good,stickwithusandwe’ll
showyouhow!
SuggestedReading
Herearesomeothertopicsthatwillbediscussedinthistutorial.Ifyouareunfamiliarwithanyofthem,
pleasehavealookattherespectivetutorialbeforeyougoanyfurther.
WhatisElectricty?
WhatisaCircuit?
Voltage,Current,Resistance,andOhm’sLaw
MetricPrefixesandSIUints
ElectricPower
Polarity
Diodes
HowtoUseThem
Soyou’vecometothesensibleconclusionthatyouneedtoputLEDsoneverything.Wethoughtyou’d
comearound.Let’sgoovertherulebook:
1)PolarityMatters
Inelectronics,polarityindicateswhetheracircuitcomponentissymmetricornot.LEDs,beingdiodes,
willonlyallowcurrenttoflowinonedirection.Andwhenthere’snocurrentflow,there’snolight.
Luckily,thisalsomeansthatyoucan’tbreakanLEDbypluggingitinbackwards.Rather,itjustwon’t
work.