Liquid-Crystal Display

technology · screens · light

Twisting light magic. Liquid crystals are materials that can change how they bend light when electricity flows through them. By turning this electricity on and off in tiny spots, LCD screens can create any image you want to see.

Needs a backlight. Unlike a phone screen that glows on its own, LCD displays don't make their own light. Instead, they use a bright light behind them, kind of like a flashlight shining through colored glass, to show you pictures and words.

Colors from filters. LCD screens create millions of colors by combining red, green, and blue light in different amounts. These three colors mix together on each tiny pixel, just like how you can make any color by mixing paints.

Flat and efficient. Because LCD screens are thin and don't need as much power as older displays, they became perfect for computers, phones, and tablets. You can see them everywhere in your home, from your alarm clock to your TV.

Liquid crystals are special. These materials are neither solid nor liquid in the normal way. When electricity touches them, their molecules line up in new directions, which changes how light passes through them.