In recent years, there's been a movement away from incandescent toward LED bulbs. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are a type of bulb that has been around for years, but hasn't necessarily been used for lighting until recently. However, they are something of an improvement on the original bulb design.

Function
LED portable light LEDs work by passing electrical current from one crystal to another. The crystals are semi-conductors, and passing from one to the other creates light. Inside the LED is a reflector cup that shoots the light up toward the plastic dome that makes up the body of the LED bulb. On its own, an LED only creates a small amount of light, and draws a very small amount of electricity. When several of them are bunched together, they create a lot of light, but still only draw a small amount of power.

Improvements
Standard incandescent bulbs require a filament. The LED design is an improvement on the classic incandescent because it eliminates one of the most troublesome elements of the incandescent bulb: the filament. An incandescent bulb works by passing electricity through an element called tungsten, which heats up and vibrates rapidly, creating both light and heat. The problem is that the filament can't keep that up: it will eventually burn out.

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www.clearstonetech.comBenefits
By removing the need for a filament, and replacing it with comparatively more stable LEDs, it creates a much more stable bulb that lasts longer. The LED bulbs heat up a lot less, which is because they don't need as much energy to produce the same amount of light. As a result, there's a significant cut in the need for power, which also means that using an LED bulb can save money on electricity bills.

Drawbacks
One of the minor drawbacks with LED bulbs is that they don't create enough light for many uses. They are constantly improving as the technology becomes more powerful, but there are still brighter options available. Brighter than the incandescent bulb is the fluorescent, and its compact cousins.

Misconceptions
While you have a more stable bulb that lasts longer, the LEDs will eventually burn out--it just takes a lot longer than with a traditional filament. Also, because they run cooler than traditional bulbs, this doesn't mean that they generate no heat at all. They can still get hot, so be careful when handling LED bulbs that have been on for a while.