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How Light Emitting Diodes Work?

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Light Emitting Diodes
 
Light Emitting Diodes, commonly called LEDs, are real unsung heroes in the electronics world. They do dozens of
different jobs and are found in all kinds of devices. Among other things, they form numbers on digital clocks, transmit information from remote controls, light up watches and tell you when your appliances are turned on. Collected together, they can form images on a jumbo television screen or illuminate a traffic light.
Basically, Light Emitting Diodes are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don’t have a filament that will burn out, and they don’t get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor  material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor. The lifespan of an LED surpasses the short life of an incandescent bulb by thousands of hours. Tiny Light Emitting Diodes are already replacing the tubes that light up LCD HDTVs to make dramatically thinner televisions.
 Light Emitting Diodes are specifically designed so they make light of a certain wavelength and they’re built into rounded plastic bulbs to make this light brighter and more concentrated. Red LEDs produce light with a wavelength of about 630–660 nanometers—which happens to look red when we see it, while blue Light Emitting Diodes produce light with shorter wavelengths of about 430–500 nanometers, which we see as blue.
We can also get Light Emitting Diodes that make invisible infrared light, which is useful in things like “magic eye” beams that trigger photoelectric cells in things like optical smoke detectors and intruder alarms.  Semiconductor
lasers work in a similar way to Light Emitting Diodes but make purer and more precise beams of light.
Nick Holonyak: he came up with the idea of the light-emitting diode in 1962 while he was working for the General Electric Company.

What’s so good about Light Emitting Diodes?

In a nutshell:
  • They’re tiny and relatively inexpensive.
  • They’re easy to control electronically.
  • They last virtually forever. That makes them brilliant for traffic signals.
  • They make light electronically without getting hot and that means they save lots of energy.
  • Energy efficient source of light for short distances and small areas.
  • The typical LED requires only 30-60 milliwatts to operate
  • Durable and shockproof unlike glass bulb lamp types
  • Directional nature is useful for some applications like reducing stray light pollution on streetlights

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Disadvantages:

  • May be unreliable in outside applications with great variations in summer/winter temperatures, more work is being done now to solve this problem
  • Semiconductors are sensitive to being damaged by heat, so large heat sinks must be employed to keep powerful arrays cool, sometimes a fan is required. This adds to cost and a fan greatly reduces the energy efficient advantage of LEDs, it is also prone to failure which leads to unit failure
  • Circuit board solder and thin copper connections crack when flexed and cause sections of arrays to go out
  • Rare earth metals used in LEDs are subject to price control monopolies by certain nations
  • Reduced lumen output over time.

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Fascinating Facts About Algae

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Facts About Algae
Most people don’t get excited about algae. After all, these ancient organisms are so small they typically aren’t visible with the naked eye. But don’t judge a chlorella by its external membrane. Did you know facts about algae that microalgae can be found in a wide variety of consumer products you use every day? Or that they can play an important role in helping to reduce global warming, climate change, and deforestation?
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Read on for a list of fascinating facts about Algae some of the world’s oldest organisms.

  • Microalgae help generate the oxygen we need to breathe.
  • Microalgae are everywhere.
  • Algae are the original oil producers.
  • Microalgae oil is a source of healthy and vital fat for humans.
  • All higher plants have descended from microalgae.
  • Sushi is made with algae.
  • Microalgae could help feed the world’s growing population.
  • Microalgae oil is an excellent candidate to help the world become less reliant on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The oceans cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface, yet algae produce more than 71% of the Earth’s oxygen; in
    fact, some scientists believe that algae produce 87% of the world’s oxygen. They also help remove huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide.
  • Some algae are so cool, they can live in the snow.
  • Some algae can live in boiling hot water, like yellow, green, and orange algae in Yellowstone National Park.
  • Did you know facts about algae that Oxygen was poisonous to the organisms that populated the early Earth. By producing oxygen, the first algae may have created the greatest toxic waste crisis in history.
  • The descendants of some of the first algae probably live inside your cells.
  • Some algae seem more like animals than plants.
  • Some algae even hunt and kill fish for food!
  • Algae may have caused one of the most famous miracles in the Bible.
  • Algae is a one-celled plant that can grow in your pool if conditions are favourable
  • There are over 20,000 known varieties of algae
  • Algae are mainly found in marine or freshwater environments
  • Algae produce oxygen which other aquatic life uses.
  • Did you know facts about algae that Algae are important to humans in the form of food and medicine.
  • Algae are vital in many food chains acting as the primary producer of organic matter.
  • In some areas of the Indian ocean the sea surface lights up at night. It is so bright that one can read a newspaper. This light is caused by tiny sea algae, the Dino-flagellata. Sometimes the lightened surface has a diameter of more than 1.5 km.
  • Algae are used in many wastewater treatment facilities, reducing the need for harmful chemicals, and are used in some power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
  • Red algae are important members of coral reefs. Red algae are unusual among the algae because they can include in their cell walls calcium carbonate which makes the plants hard and resistant to wear.
  • Brown algae are found mainly in the tidal zones of temperate to polar seas, but some exist in the deep ocean. Among the brown algae are the largest and most complex of the algae; well-known forms include the giant kelp and the free-floating sargassum weed.
  • Algae have chlorophyll and can manufacture their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
  • Kelps are the largest algae’s. They can be more than 200 feet.
  • It is the major food for fishes.
  • Oxygen was poisonous to the organisms that populated the early Earth. By producing oxygen, the first algae may have created the greatest toxic waste crisis in history.
  • Fossilized Algae are used to make dynamite.
  • Algae may be able to help save the planet.

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Powerful Benefits of Vitamin C

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Benefits of vitamin C
Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in our body and because the body does not store Vitamin C in its tissue, we need to consume it on its regular basis. Benefits of Vitamin C is indispensable for proper functioning of the body. The role of vitamin C in maintaining good health, gives us more reasons why we should include sources of Vitamin C in our diet.
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Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is used to:
  • Form an important protein used to make skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels
  • Heal wounds and form scar tissue
  • Repair and maintain cartilage, bones, and teeth
  • Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals.
  • Free radicals are made when your body breaks down food or when you are exposed to tobacco smoke
    or radiation.
  • The build-up of free radicals over time is largely responsible for the aging process.
  • Free radicals may play a role in cancer, heart disease, and conditions like arthritis.
  • The body is not able to make vitamin C on its own, and it does not store vitamin C. It is, therefore, important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.
  • For many years, vitamin C has been a popular remedy for the common cold.
  • Research shows that for most people, vitamin C supplements or vitamin C-rich foods do not reduce the risk of getting the common cold.
  • However, people who take vitamin C supplements regularly might have slightly shorter colds or somewhat milder symptoms.
  • Taking a vitamin C supplement after cold starts does not appear to be helpful.

 

 

Food Sources

All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C. Fruits with the highest benefits of vitamin C include:

  • Cantaloupe
  • Citrus fruits and
    juices, such as orange and grapefruit
  • Kiwi fruit
  • Mango
  • Papaya
  • Pineapple
  • Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries
  • Watermelon

Vegetables with the highest benefits of vitamin C include:

  • Broccoli, Brussels, sprouts, cauliflower
  • Green and red peppers
  • Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens
  • Sweet and white potatoes
  • Tomatoes and tomato juice
  • Winter squash

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Some cereals and other foods and beverages are fortified with vitamin C. Fortified mean a vitamin or mineral has been added to the food. Check the product labels to see how much vitamin C is in the product.
Cooking vitamin C-rich foods or storing them for a long period of time can reduce the vitamin C content. Microwaving and steaming vitamin C-rich foods may reduce cooking losses. The best food sources
of vitamin C are uncooked or raw fruits and vegetables.
Deficiency of Vitamin C causes:
  • Dry and splitting hair
  • Gingivitis or inflammation of gums, bleeding of gums, rough, dry and scaly skin.
  • Reduction of wound-healing rate, easy bruising, nosebleed
  • Decreased ability to ward off infections
  • The most severe form of Vitamin C deficiency is scurvy. Scurvy leads to the formation of liver spots on the skin, spongy gums and bleeding from mucous membranes. A person with this ailment looks pale, feels depressed and is partially immobilised. In advanced scurvy there is an open wound which subsequently leads to loss of teeth and eventually death.
  • Low levels of vitamin C may lead to high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, stroke, cancer and atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that can lead to heart attack and stroke. Make sure you eat enough Vitamin C foods to reduce the risk of developing these conditions.

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Carbohydrates

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When most people refer to carbohydrates they are talking about foods that are starchy (like bread, pasta, and rice) or are sugary (like candy, cookies, and cake). In science, when we talk about carbohydrates we are talking about specific types of molecules.

Carbohydrate is one of the four major groups of organic molecules; the other three being proteins, nucleic acids (DNA), and lipids (fats). They are made up of three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Carbohydrates are important to the daily lives of living organisms. They store energy (starches), provide energy for cells (glucose), and provide structure to plants and some animals.

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Types of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate are sometimes referred to as saccharides. The different types of carbohydrates all have the word “saccharide” in them.

  • Monosaccharides – Monosaccharides are the simplest form of carbohydrates. They include sugars such as glucose and fructose. Monosaccharides often taste sweet and dissolve in water. Glucose is a common carbohydrate found in plants and is the main product of photosynthesis.
  • Disaccharides – Disaccharides are formed from two Monosaccharides. They are also known as sugars such as sucrose and lactose. Lactose is the carbohydrate found in milk.
  • Oligosaccharides – Oligosaccharides are formed from a small number (usually three to six) of monosaccharides.
  • Polysaccharides – Polysaccharides are long carbohydrate molecules. They are often called complex carbohydrates.

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More about Complex Carbohydrates (Polysaccharides)

There are four important types of complex carbohydrate:

  • Starches – Starches are a way that many plants store energy. We can then eat starches and our bodies will use the energy.
  • Glycogen – Animals use glycogen to store energy. It is stored in the liver and the muscles to be used when needed.
  • Cellulose – Cellulose is used in plants as a structural molecule. It can’t be digested by animals.
  • Chitin – Chitin is used as a structural molecule in fungi and arthropods.

What happens to left over carbohydrates?

When you eat carbohydrate your body uses them for energy. However, if you eat more than your body needs, it will convert them into fat. Fat is the way that the body stores energy for later use. The body is trying to save up energy for a later time when you don’t have any carbohydrates to eat.

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Interesting Facts about Carbohydrates

  • Most of the time, the hydrogen to oxygen atom ratio of a carbohydrate is 2 hydrogen atoms for every 1 oxygen atom. This is the same ratio as in water (H2O).
  • The word “saccharide” comes from the Greek word “sakkharon” which means “sugar.”
  • Carbohydrate make up between 2 and 3 percent of the average person’s body mass.
  • Some carbs help our bodies to absorb calcium.
  • Many people try using a low carb diet to lose weight, but we all need some carbohydrates to survive.
  • Carbohydrate help to insure that our cells get the energy they need to perform well.
  • Carbohydrate are the body’s main source of energy (calories) and are a key fuel source for exercise and sport.
  • Carbs are easily digested and are broken down into glucose, which the body then uses to do its various tasks.Protein and fat, on the other hand, are more difficult energy sources to digest and are needed to build tissues and cells in the body.
  • Starch is the most common carbohydrate in the typical diet of a human being. Potatoes, rice, wheat and corn all contain large amounts of starch.
  • It is possible for humans to live healthy lives while eating very low levels of carbohydrates because our bodies can convert proteins into carbohydrates.

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Crazy-Intresting Facts About Sleep

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Facts about sleep

Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles, and reduced interactions with surroundings. Facts about sleep is associated with a state of muscle relaxation and reduced perception of environmental stimuli. Sometimes falling asleep can be extremely difficult.

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Check out these Facts About Sleep

  • Humans spend a third of their life sleeping. That’s about 25 years.
  • Parents of new babies miss out on 6 months worth of sleep in the first 2 years of their child’s life.
  • The record for the longest period without sleep is 11 days.
  • An experiment in 1998 found that a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain’s sleep-wake clock.
  • Sleeping less than 7 hours each night reduces your life expectancy.
  • Only one half of a dolphin‘s brain goes to sleep at a time.
  • Some Deaf People Make Sign Language in Their Sleep.
  • Lack of sleep can cause weight gain of 2 pounds (0.9 kg) in under a week.
  • Before alarm clocks were invented, there were “knocker-ups” who went tapping on client’s windows with long sticks until they were awake.
  • A snail can sleep for 3 years.
  • It’s impossible to sneeze while sleeping.
  • Most people can survive for up to 2 months without eating, but people can only live
    up to 11 days without sleeping.
  • Sleeping on the job is acceptable in Japan, as it’s viewed as exhaustion from working hard.
  • Sea otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift away from each other.
  • Dysania is the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.
  • People experience better sleep during the new moon and worse sleep during a full moon, a study found.
  • Many Tibetan monks sleep upright.
  • Half of the pilots surveyed in the UK admitted to having fallen asleep while flying a passenger plane.
  • Cats sleep for 70% of their lives.
  • Sleep helps you remember important information. During REM sleep (a phase of the cycle characterized by rapid eye movement) your brain determines what’s important to know and stores it for future use.
  • Lack of sleep can result in a number of issues including fatigue, irritability, lack of concentration, and increased stress. In the long run, a reduced amount of sleep can lead to a weakened immune system, depression, and high blood pressure.
  • Facts about sleep is that women who sleep less than 5 hours a night gain a significant amount more weight over time than those who sleep 7 hours or more.
  • Researchers believe dreams are a meaningless by product of sleep and consciousness.
  • Too much sleep can be too much of a good thing! Nights of elongated slumber can negatively disrupt the body’s ability to use insulin, which increases the risk of diabetes later on in life.
  • You burn more calories watching TV than you do sleeping.
  • Dolphins can stay active for 15 days or more by sleeping only with one half of their brain at a time.
  • Sleep disruption caused by working nights is even classified as a potential cause of cancer by the World Health Organisation.
  • Facts about sleep is that the world record for not sleeping was set by 17-year-old Randy Gardner in 1964 when he was awake for 264 hours and 12 minutes.
  • Somniphobia is the fear of sleep.
  • You can only dream about faces you have already seen.
  • An adult bedbug can survive up to one year without feeding.

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