How do lightbulbs work?

Summary

Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids

Episode: How do lightbulbs work?
Host: Molly Bloom
Kid Co-host: Maya from Durham, North Carolina
Date: June 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

This fun and enlightening episode explores the science behind lightbulbs—how something so seemingly simple (flip a switch and—bada bing!—you've got light) can actually be quite complex on the inside. Host Molly Bloom and kid co-host Maya tackle the question: How do lightbulbs work? Along the way, they discuss atoms, electrons, energy, classic incandescent bulbs, the rise of LEDs, and more—explaining everything in clear, kid-friendly language with infectious curiosity and playful banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nature of Light (03:09–05:08)

• Where does light come from?
  • Light is a type of energy, specifically "visible light," which is the part we can see (03:14).
  • There are other wavelengths our eyes can’t see, like infrared and ultraviolet (03:21).
  • Atoms, the building blocks of everything, play the central role: "Those atoms are like the Legos that all the stuff in the universe is made of." — Molly (03:52)
  • When energy hits an atom, it excites an electron—a tiny part inside the atom—giving it an energy boost (04:07).
  • That electron can't stay hyped up forever: "Well, that was fun. But let's simmer down now." — Maya (04:32)
  • As the electron calms down, it "lets go" of the energy—sometimes as visible light (04:45–04:52).
• Big Idea: Light comes from atoms whose electrons get zapped with energy and then release that energy, sometimes as light.
  • “That’s the big idea behind how light bulbs work.” — Molly (05:08)

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2. Mystery Sound Challenge (05:10 & 24:43)

• Segment engages listeners with a guessing game: "Alright, Maya, turn up your ears. Here it is..." (05:41)
• Spoiler: The answer is Lena from Durham, NC, shaking ice in a plastic cup (25:09).
  • Memorable moment: Lena tricks her sister Maya, who guessed "Legos."

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3. Lightbulbs in Pop Culture (09:47–11:09)

• Lightbulbs are a universal symbol for ideas in comics and cartoons.
• Kids and listeners share the fun expressions they'd shout during a "lightbulb moment" (10:15–11:05).
  • Notable shouts include: "Brightness!", "Brain nuggies!", "Shrug bomba!", "Ding dong!", "My brains are on!", and "Anuka!"

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4. How Incandescent Bulbs Work (11:43–14:39)

• Old-school bulbs: The traditional round bulbs with a "squiggly line" (filament) in the middle.
• Filament: A coil of very thin tungsten wire—incandescent means "glowing with heat" (12:10).
  • When you flip the switch, electricity flows through wires into the filament (12:16–12:25).
  • Visual explanation: "The electricity bumps and smashes into the atoms...With every bump, the electricity transfers energy to the atoms", exciting their electrons (12:25–12:37).
  • Those excited electrons drop energy as light; the metal (tungsten) gets so hot it glows (13:00–13:08).
  • Metaphor: Like an electric stove coil when it glows red-hot or a fire poker glowing in the fire (13:15–13:35).
• Why a glass bulb?
  • Without glass, the super-hot tungsten wire would burn up in air (13:48–14:11).
  • Glass bulb is filled with argon gas (not oxygen) to prevent burning: "If you keep it away from oxygen, it won't burn." — Molly (14:01)
• Downsides:
  • Incandescent bulbs make a lot of heat as well as light, wasting energy (14:18–14:39): "We only want the light. It's wasting energy to make all that heat we don't need." — Molly (14:39)

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5. How LED Bulbs Work (19:12–22:10)

• LED: Stands for Light Emitting Diode (19:14).
• Instead of a filament, they use a "semiconductor"—not "a conductor of a train who only works part time" (joke: 19:31–19:37)!
  • Definition: Material that conducts electricity, but not as well as metal—not as poorly as rubber (19:59).
  • Composed of two layers—one with extra electrons, one that wants more (20:12).
  • When electricity flows, electrons move between these layers, but must "lose energy" (21:03–21:21).
    • "I'll just let out some energy so I can settle down over here." — Maya (21:17)
  • The released energy appears as light—efficiently and with little heat (21:21).
  • Changing the semiconductor's materials controls the energy difference, which controls color (22:06).
    • "That's how we make different color LED lights." — Maya (22:10)
• Why LEDs are better:
  • "They make very little heat and a lot of light...they can use less energy to make light." — Molly (22:17)
  • They last much longer than old bulbs ("It's a win win.") — Molly (22:19)

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6. Simple and Complex Summaries (23:34–24:12)

• Simple answer:
  • "When you turn on a light, electricity is sent through a bulb where it is turned into light." — Maya (23:40)
• Complex answer:
  • "The electricity zaps a bunch of atoms...those atoms absorb the energy with their electrons...then shoot that energy back out." — Maya & Molly (23:48–24:04)
  • Incandescent bulbs: energy becomes heat and light.
  • LEDs: electrons move between materials, lose energy and release that as light.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On atoms and light:
  "Yeah, those atoms are like the Legos that all the stuff in the universe is made of." — Molly (03:52)
• On electron excitement:
  "That part that gets all jazzed up is called an electron." — Molly (04:03) "Oh, boy, howdy. I feel hyped up. Let's party for a little while." — Maya (04:13)
• Incandescent efficiency:
  "We only want the light. It's wasting energy to make all that heat we don't need." — Molly (14:39)
• LED joke:
  "A semiconductor is not a conductor of a train who only works part time." — Maya (19:31)
• Listener Creativity:
  Favorite "lightbulb moment" shouts: "Brain nuggies!", "Liberty Giblet", "melting popsicles", "horsetastic", and Maya's own: "Banana!" (10:15–11:09; 22:42–23:20)
• Sibling twist:
  "That was from your sister and she fooled you?" — Molly (25:22);
  "Yes, darn it, Lena. And Lena really likes ice." — Maya (25:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |--------------|----------------------------------------------| | 03:09–05:08 | What is light? Atoms & electrons explained | | 05:10 | Mystery sound challenge #1 | | 09:47–11:09 | Lightbulbs as a symbol for ideas | | 11:43–14:39 | How incandescent bulbs work | | 19:12–22:10 | What are LEDs and how do they work? | | 23:34–24:12 | Simple vs. complex answer summaries | | 24:43–25:09 | Mystery sound answer & sibling twist |

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Episode Tone & Language

• Curious, playful, and informative: Jokes and kid-friendly metaphors throughout. The hosts break down big science ideas into digestible bites and embrace “mistakes” (like Maya being fooled by her sister) as fun learning moments.
• Uses lively sounds, listener participation, and clear, vibrant imagery to make science come alive.

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Summary Table

| Bulb Type | How It Works | Efficiency / Quirks | |-----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Incandescent | Electricity heats tungsten filament, exciting electrons | Lots of heat; glass filled with argon | | LED | Electricity moves electrons across a semiconductor (two layers) | Very little heat; energy efficient; lasts long |

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Conclusion

This episode of Brains On! illuminates the hidden science inside every lightbulb—from atoms and electrons to temperature and color. Incandescent bulbs use heat and glowing metal, while LEDs rely on advanced materials and efficient electron shuffling. The show wraps up with a “you can explain this!” boost for listeners—empowering young scientists to share both the simple and complex answers about how lightbulbs work.

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Memorable Listener Participation:
Favorite new “lightbulb moment” exclamations include:

• “Brain nuggies!”, “Shrug bomba!”, “Ding dong!”, and “Banana!”

Sibling Moment:
Maya is outsmarted by her sister Lena in the mystery sound segment, creating a funny and sweet ending.

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“Now you know how light bulbs work. You can say, aha, I get it now.” — Maya (22:32)

Transcript

[Mark Sanchez]

Lemonade.

[Maya]

Brains on Universe. You're listening to Brains on. Where we're serious about being curious.

[Molly Bloom]

Some things are simple and complex at the same time.

[Maya]

Like getting dressed in the morning.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, you just need to put on clothes. Simple.

[Maya]

But wait, do I want to look bright and peppy or cool and dark? Is it shorts weather or jeans weather? What will my friends be wearing? Do these socks go good with these shoes? Is my favorite hoodie clean enough to re wear?

[Molly Bloom]

Yikes. See? Complicated.

[Maya]

Another example is the light bulb.

[Molly Bloom]

You flick a switch and bada bing, you got light. Simple.

[Maya]

But what's going on inside the bulb to make the light turns out? That part is complicated.

[Molly Bloom]

Don't worry, we're gonna explain it right after this. We've gotten a lot of feedback on our new show, Brains on Universe presents Pubert Podcast. People have written us things like, as a parent of a seven year old, thank you. And I find all of this super uncomfortable to talk about. So a podcast through my headphones only I can hear is helpful. The full series is in its own feed. We are so glad it's helpful. That was the goal and something we couldn't have done without our Smarty Pass pals. When you join SmartyPass and you should, you help us serve families with things like the puberty podcast, which is full of scientific explanations and helpful advice and also lesson plans, special events and. And of course, our shows, which are fact checked and help fuel a love of learning. So join [e-mail] Every member lets us do more to help kids understand their world and themselves. Do your [e-mail] thanks.

[Mark (Mailroom)]

Brains on.

[Molly Bloom]

You're listening to Brains on, part of the Brainz on Universe. I'm Molly Bloom and here in the studio with me is Maya from Durham, North Carolina. Hi, Maya.

[Maya]

Hi, Molly.

[Molly Bloom]

Today we're answering a question that you sent in.

[Maya]

Yeah, I wanted to know how a light bulb works.

[Molly Bloom]

So, Maya, how did you come up with that question?

[Maya]

Actually, my sister helped me come up with the question. We were in the car and we passed a streetlight and she was like, how does this work? And I asked the question too. And my mom was like, oh, this is a good one for Brains On.

[Molly Bloom]

Do you have a favorite light or lamp in your house?

[Maya]

Well, yeah, I think in our bathroom there's a connection with three light bulbs and it's facing up. It's really cool. Colors you can change. You can turn it darker or brighter.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, it's dim or bright. Oh, very cool. Do you have a nightlight?

[Maya]

Yes, I do. But I also have this jellyfish lamp, too.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, cool. That sounds amazing. Well, the light bulb is a fantastic thing to explore because there's a lot of cool science behind it.

[Maya]

But before we tackle that, we need to start with something even more important.

[Molly Bloom]

Light itself. Where exactly does light come from?

[Maya]

Light is basically a kind of energy.

[Molly Bloom]

There are lots of kinds of energy, but light is a special one because we can see it.

[Maya]

But hold up, Molly. There are all types of light we can't see, right?

[Molly Bloom]

Like infrared light or ultraviolet light.

[Maya]

Yeah, those.

[Molly Bloom]

True. Yeah, we can't see either of those kinds of light. The type of light we can see, we call visible light, because it's visible.

[Maya]

So visible.

[Molly Bloom]

All the light we see from fires to screens to the sun, comes from atoms.

[Maya]

Whoa.

[Mark Sanchez]

Atoms.

[Maya]

Those teeny, tiny, smaller than a germ, building blocks of everything.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, those atoms are like the Legos that all the stuff in the universe is made of. And when an atom gets hit with extra energy, part of that atom gets super excited.

[Maya]

That part that gets all jazzed up is called an electron.

[Molly Bloom]

So imagine a little electron floating around its atom, minding its own business when

[Maya]

it gets hit by a jolt of energy. Wowza. What was that? Oh, boy, howdy. I feel hyped up. Let's party for a little while.

[Molly Bloom]

That jolt of energy makes the electron super excited,

[Maya]

but soon enough, the electron calms down. Well, that was fun. But let's simmer down now. Let it all out.

[Molly Bloom]

When the electron in that atom goes back to normal, it lets go of that energy. It sort of shoots it out.

[Maya]

And for some atoms, that energy is shot out as a beam of light.

[Molly Bloom]

So to recap, light comes from atoms. When energy hits an atom, the electrons in that atom get all excited.

[Maya]

Then when those electrons calm down, they shoot that energy back out.

[Molly Bloom]

Sometimes the energy leaves the atoms as a beam of light. So this idea that you take one form of energy, zap atoms with it, and. And the atoms turn it into light. That's the big idea behind how light bulbs work. Now let's light up your ears with a challenge, shall we? It's time for the mystery sound. All right, Maya, turn up your ears. Here it is. Do you want to hear it again?

[Maya]

Yes.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, here it is. All right. What guess do you have?

[Maya]

It sounds like a little shaking, maybe. This is hard.

[Molly Bloom]

It is a tough one. Yeah. What could possibly be shaking?

[Maya]

Maybe, like, Legos or like, maybe Magnatiles.

[Molly Bloom]

Could be Magna tiles, could be Legos. Well, we're gonna hear it again. Get another chance to guess and hear the answer at the end of the show.

[Maya]

So keep listening.

[Molly Bloom]

Everything at Brainzonn is powered by you.

[Maya]

Yeah. Your ideas, art, mystery, sounds and questions.

[Molly Bloom]

So send us stuff. You can do [e-mail] contact we read everything that comes through there and if

[Maya]

we pick your question you might get to co host an episode. That's how I got here.

[Molly Bloom]

So again send questions, ideas, reactions or whatever to our [e-mail] contact can't wait

[Maya]

to hear from ya.

[Molly Bloom]

Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify. When we went independent here at Brainzon, there was a lot to figure out and it was pretty overwhelming. And when you're starting something new, it just feels like the to do list keeps growing, growing and growing and growing. But that's why finding the right tool that not only helps you out but simplifies everything can be a game changer for us. One of those tools is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond. And if you get stuck, Shopify is always around to share advice with their award winning 24. 7 customer support. Start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month trial at shopify.combrainson go to shopify.combrainson that's shopify.combrainson.

[Sandin Totten]

Do you love light? Like really love light? Like love light so much you took all your savings and bought hundreds of lamps, sconces, chandeliers and light fixtures, then moved them all into an abandoned shoe store that's probably haunted and opened your own light themed store that sells nothing but lights. Well then you must be me because that's exactly what I did. Hi. I'm sorry. Sandin and I just opened Sandin's Bright Idea, a store for light lovers. We've got night lights, bright lights, white lights, fright lights, kite lights. Those are lights on kites. Afraid of height lights. They hate being on kites. We sell lamps. Clamps for lamps, lamps for champs. Those are lamps shaped like trophies. Damp lamps. They're wet. Actually, don't touch those. We've got chandeliers that bling. Lanterns that swing a bulb on a string. Give me a ring, hear me, I'll sing. I love light. So come on down to Sandin's Bright Idea, located at the abandoned shoe store that's probably haunted near some Roads and a tree maybe. I don't know, I forget. But you know where I'm talking about, right? Come on, it's light. You know you need it. Sandin's bright idea will light up your life and house.

[Molly Bloom]

Welcome back to our look at light bulbs. I'm Molly.

[Maya]

And I'm Maya.

[Molly Bloom]

And aside from lighting our homes, light bulbs are also used in cartoons and comics to show when someone has a good idea.

[Maya]

Yeah. A cartoon character thinks and thinks, then, aha. A light bulb appears above their head. An idea.

[Molly Bloom]

Sometimes they also shout I've got it. Or eureka.

[Maya]

We wanted to know what you would shout out when you have a light bulb moment.

[Molly Bloom]

And boy, do you have some bright ideas.

[Kids/Listeners]

Here's what I think you should shout

[Maya]

when you have an idea. Brightness. Like your light bulb is brighting up.

[Kids/Listeners]

I would shout brain nuggies. And the thing I would say is shrug bomba. I will say ding dong. And when I have a light bulb moment, I would probably shout, my brains are on for a light bulb moment. I'd say

[Maya]

if I had a light

[Kids/Listeners]

bulb moment, I would shout anuka. And that means I got an idea.

[Molly Bloom]

That was Teddy, Zsaza, Elsie, Mana, William, Amy and Evan. Maya, what would you say?

[Maya]

Um, I would probably say banana. Like a peeling banana.

[Molly Bloom]

Like, oh, oh.

[Maya]

Like I'm opening a banana.

[Kids/Listeners]

Oh, yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

It's like there's the idea. It's the banana. Yeah, I like that. I like that a lot. Alright, back to the bulbs themselves. How exactly do they make light?

[Maya]

We know you can get visible light by taking one form of energy and zapping an atom with it.

[Molly Bloom]

That atom will then release that energy, sometimes as light. So how does that work with light bulbs? Let's find out.

[Maya]

Let's start with the old fashioned light bulbs.

[Mark Sanchez]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

If you've seen a rounded bulb with a little squiggly line in the middle, that's what we're talking about.

[Maya]

Oh, like the light bulb on the Brain's on logo.

[Molly Bloom]

Exactly. That squiggly line is actually a coil of thin metal wire. It's called a filament. And the type of bulb that uses a filament is called an incandescent bulb.

[Maya]

Incandescent. Incandescent.

[Molly Bloom]

Incandescent. That metal filament is the key to the light. It works like this. When you flick the light switch in

[Maya]

your house, it sends electricity through some wires.

[Molly Bloom]

In an instant, the electricity reaches the bulb and it is sent through that metal wire.

[Maya]

As it flows through the wire, the electricity bumps and smashes into the atoms that make up the wire. Excuse me. Oops, sorry. Coming through.

[Mark Sanchez]

Ouch.

[Sandin Totten]

Ooh.

[Maya]

Pardon me.

[Molly Bloom]

With every bump, the electricity transfers energy to the atoms, specifically to the electrons in those atoms. Now, remember before how we said when certain atoms get hit with energy, the electrons absorb it and then release it as light?

[Maya]

Well, the metal in the filament is made up of those kinds of atoms.

[Molly Bloom]

The filament is made of a metal called tungsten.

[Maya]

When you run electricity through tungsten, it heats up. The metal gets hotter and hotter.

[Molly Bloom]

Then the electrons in the atoms absorb energy from that heat and get excited. And when they calm down, then they release that energy as light. So basically, the electricity heats up the metal until it's so hot it glows and gives off light. Kind of like how the metal coils on an electric stove light up when they get hot. Or how if you left a fire poker in the fire too long, it might glow too.

[Mark Sanchez]

Brain spun

[Molly Bloom]

a couple more things about these incandescent bulbs. Why are they made of glass? Why not just have a wire that glows?

[Maya]

Well, when some things get very bright and hot, they burn up tungsten.

[Molly Bloom]

The metal in light bulbs is usually like that.

[Maya]

Make it hot and burns away.

[Mark Sanchez]

Poof.

[Molly Bloom]

No more light. But it needs oxygen to burn out like that. If you keep it away from oxygen, it won't burn.

[Maya]

That's why these little metal wires are in glass bulbs. There's no oxygen in there.

[Molly Bloom]

Instead, the glass bulbs are filled with a gas that won't burn them out. Usually it's a gas called argon.

[Maya]

Also, notice how we said the metal wire thingy gets very hot?

[Molly Bloom]

That's because the atoms in tungsten don't just make light, they make heat too. The heat and the light are both coming from these excited atoms.

[Maya]

Yeah, you might have noticed that these bulbs can get pretty toasty after they've been left on for a while.

[Molly Bloom]

But we only want the light. It's wasting energy to make all that heat we don't need.

[Maya]

Which is why humans have invented other kinds of light bulbs that don't make so much heat.

[Molly Bloom]

We'll explain those in just a bit. But first, let's check the mailbag.

[Mark (Mailroom)]

Hey, Mark here in the Brainzon mail room. Has anyone seen my can opener? Here it is. It's in my hand. It's always the first place you should look, you know? Anyway, time to open some cans of mail from you. Oh, yeah. We got some new ideas for empty rooms in our headquarters. Like this one from Miles.

[Kids/Listeners]

An idea for a room in the new Brainsland headquarters is a Big chocolate

[Maya]

fountain with animals running around such as

[Kids/Listeners]

dogs, cats, butterflies, horses and cows.

[Mark (Mailroom)]

Amazing. Messy, but amazing. Ooh, and check out this idea from Theo.

[Kids/Listeners]

I want to make a room for the new headquarters. Dance on. Anti gravity room. And it's really hot with popcorn, so you can see like the popcorn pop. Because I've always wanted to see that

[Mark (Mailroom)]

popcorn popping in zero G. Oh yeah, I definitely want to see that. And lastly, here's an idea from Avery. He thinks we should have a room full of tigers.

[Kids/Listeners]

Fun fact. Tiger cub depend on entirely on their parents for food until they are 18 months old and ready to hunt prey. Another fun fact is tigers fur helps of camouflage because when the sun shines off of their fur, it looks green to other animals. Finally, tigers are endangered, which means there are only around 5,500 left in the wild. And that is why I think you should have a room full of tigers.

[Mark (Mailroom)]

Thanks so much for all these ideas. If you want to add a room to the BrainZN headquarters, just send us an idea by going to brainson.org contact that's brainson.org contact thanks and see you in the mailbag.

[Molly Bloom]

Brains on is supported by listeners, which means it's supported by you. Join Smartypass to help out and get ad free versions of this and all of our other shows. Visit smartypass.org thank you. Thank you.

[Sandin Totten]

Hey, it's Sandin from the one and only Sandin's Bright Idea, the light store for light lovers. Come visit us at the abandoned shoe store that's probably haunted. We've got desktop lamps, track lighting, spotlights.

[Mark Sanchez]

Hey, how'd you get in here?

[Sandin Totten]

Oh, wow, a ghost. This abandoned shoe store is haunted.

[Mark Sanchez]

I'm not a ghost. I work here. And this shoe store isn't abandoned. We were just closed.

[Sandin Totten]

Oh, that explains why there's still so many shoes.

[Mark Sanchez]

Where did all these lights come from? You need to get them out of here.

[Sandin Totten]

Breaking news. We're having a flash sale. All lights 50% off. Come get them now.

[Mark Sanchez]

Seriously, you gotta leave before my manager gets here. Ouch. I stubbed my toe on this floor lamp.

[Sandin Totten]

New sale. Buy one light, get the rest free. Just come grab what you can before we get thrown out.

[Mark Sanchez]

Shoo, shoo, shoo.

[Molly Bloom]

Get out of here.

[Mark Sanchez]

Good day. Be gone. I said good day.

[Sandin Totten]

Actually, it's an all you can carry sale. Give me five bucks and you can supermarket sweep this place. Hurry, hurry.

[Mark Sanchez]

I'm gonna call security.

[Sandin Totten]

Wait. You know what this shoe store really needs? 15 giant chandeliers.

[Mark Sanchez]

Get out.

[Sandin Totten]

Okay, bye.

[Molly Bloom]

We're Back. And we just learned that incandescent light bulbs work by sending electricity through a metal wire.

[Maya]

That wire absorbs that energy and releases it back out as heat and light.

[Molly Bloom]

But as we said, that's pretty wasteful. It wastes a lot of energy making heat when all we really want it to do is make light.

[Maya]

That's where LED lights come in.

[Molly Bloom]

LED stands for light emitting diodes.

[Maya]

Light emitting diodes.

[Molly Bloom]

LEDs. These are pretty different from incandescent bulbs. Instead of having a filament, LEDs have a special material called a semiconductor.

[Maya]

A semiconductor is not a conductor of a train who only works part time.

[Mark (Mailroom)]

Who's driving this train?

[Maya]

Not me. I'm off duty for the rest of the ride. I'm just a semiconductor.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, not that. A semiconductor is a material that electricity can flow through, but electricity doesn't flow through it as easily as it does through metal, like aluminum.

[Maya]

But it's not a material that electricity can't move through at all.

[Molly Bloom]

Like rubber, it's somewhere in between. It conducts or carries electricity. Sorta. Okay. It's semi good at it.

[Maya]

The semiconductors in LEDs are made of two layers.

[Molly Bloom]

One layer has extra electrons, and one

[Maya]

layer doesn't have enough electrons.

[Molly Bloom]

Remember, electrons are the parts of atoms that get all excited when they get hit with energy.

[Mark Sanchez]

Wow.

[Maya]

And they can release light when they calm down, let it all out.

[Molly Bloom]

So you have one layer with too

[Maya]

many electrons and one layer that has room for more electrons.

[Molly Bloom]

Seems like they should work together and share electrons, right?

[Maya]

Yep. And that's what they do.

[Molly Bloom]

When you send electricity through these two materials, it moves the electrons from the part that has extra electrons to the part that wants more. Oh, boy.

[Maya]

I love sharing. There's enough of us electrons for everyone. But here's the thing. For the electrons to join the new material, the part that wants more electrons, they have to release some energy. Oh, this seems like a good spot to rest. But I have too much juice for this place. I'll just let out some energy so I can settle down over here.

[Molly Bloom]

And like we said before, when electrons calm down and give off energy, it can shoot out as light, which is exactly what happens here. The electrons move from one material to the other, and as they do that, they drop their energy and shoot off light.

[Maya]

And as long as the electricity keeps flowing through the semiconductor, electrons keep moving from one material to the other, releasing a steady flow of electronic light along the way. So LEDs are basically little machines that move electrons from one place to another.

[Molly Bloom]

But as they move, they're forced to lose energy, which makes light. And by changing the materials in the semiconductor, we can change how much energy the electrons lose. Losing different amounts makes for different colors,

[Maya]

and that's how we make different color LED lights.

[Molly Bloom]

Most new bulbs these days are LED bulbs because they make very little heat and a lot of light, which means

[Maya]

they can use less energy to make light.

[Molly Bloom]

Plus, LEDs can last much longer than older incandescent bulbs. It's a win win. Now you know how light bulbs work.

[Maya]

You can say, aha. I get it now.

[Molly Bloom]

Speaking of aha, let's hear more of your ideas for what to shout when you have a light bulb. Mom,

[Maya]

here is what I think we should say when we get a lightbulb moment. Kick the Coke. I've got an idea.

[Kids/Listeners]

If I had to make a word to say when I had an idea, it would be ooblee success Bean. My new word whenever something good happens is horsetastic, because I ride horses. And whenever my horse does something really good or I do something really nicely, that's what I would say.

[Maya]

The phrase I think we should say is melting popsicles. And what I think we should say when we have a light bulb moment is Liberty Giblet.

[Kids/Listeners]

See you soon, Brainzon.

[Molly Bloom]

Thanks to Robin, Marla, Aurora, Ruby, Moon and Indigo, Grace, Phaedra and Elliot.

[Maya]

You all rock.

[Molly Bloom]

When someone asks you how a light bulb works, you can give them the simple answer or the compliment.

[Maya]

The simple answer is that when you turn on a light, electricity is sent through a bulb where it is turned into light.

[Molly Bloom]

The complicated answer is that when you turn on a light, that electricity zaps

[Maya]

a bunch of atoms, and those atoms absorb the energy with their electrons.

[Molly Bloom]

The electrons then shoot that energy back out. In incandescent bulbs, the energy comes out as heat and visible light.

[Maya]

In LED lights, electrons move from one material to the other, and as they move, they have to lose energy, and

[Molly Bloom]

that energy is released as light for us to see. That's it for this episode of Brains On. This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Marc Sanchez, and Sandon Totten. It was sound designed by Mark Sanchez, who also wrote our theme music. We had engineering help from Jenny Lawson. Special thanks to Ken Taborski at Code of the north for all of their website help. Also, special special thanks to Lena Neil, Margaret Teich and Suchin Shukla. Maya, are you ready for that mystery sound again?

[Maya]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, here it is.

[Mark Sanchez]

Hmm.

[Molly Bloom]

What do you think?

[Maya]

I'm gonna go with Legos.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. I like that. Shaking Legos up. Maybe you're looking for a piece.

[Kids/Listeners]

You Need.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent guess. Okay, here is the answer.

[Maya]

Hi, I'm Lena from Durham, North Carolina. And that was the sound of me shaking ice in a plastic cup. And I dedicate this to my sister, and she's just the best. Aww.

[Molly Bloom]

That was from your sister and she fooled you?

[Maya]

Yes, darn it, Lena. And Lena really likes ice. So.

[Molly Bloom]

So you should have known she was shaking ice. That's a good one. Nice job, Lena.

[Maya]

Good job, Lena.

[Molly Bloom]

Now it's time for the brains honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery, sounds, drawings and high fives. Frances from new york city, vanir from vaughan, ontario. Garrett from writing, massachusetts. Izzy from republic, missouri. Eloise from houston, texas. Eleanor from grand rapids, michigan. Zara from lakewood, colorado. Connor from cherry hill, new jersey. Udai from grand prairie, alberta. Midori and penny from san francisco. Barney from bound brook, nj. Owenfrom jim thorpe, pa. Ellic from henley on thames, england. Vivian and belle from coralville, iowa. Chloe, atlas and oakley from bennington, n.h. clara, june and annie from richmond, virginia. Win from cincinnati, luca from tampa, florida. Logan from cincinnati. Halawi from washington, d.c. lavon from washington, d.c. rita from mississauga, ontario. Aida from montreal amala from belgium, india. Mitra from windsor, california freya from brainerd, minnesota karuna from providence, rhode island. Alex from brooklyn, new york xander from richfield, washington levi and owen from santa clara, california. Ben from crownsville, maryland alice from champaign, illinois quinton from st. Paul, minnesota cassandra from st. Paul, minnesota emma june from edmonton, alberta lucy from baltimore quinn from san pablo, california evelyn from campbell river, british columbia, columbia hudson from charlotte, north carolina huy lee from sydney, australia ethan from flower mound, texas rosie from guelph, ontario. Leo from maitland, australia. Tova from eprot, israel. Lynden from codale, alberta justin from garland, texas hunter from mccrom, ireland cora from anchorage, alaska luca from newtown, pennsylvania lucy and charlie from lakewood, ohio. Faron from birmingham, united kingdom. Reese from chico, california xander from clarksville, tennessee hunter from walpole, massachusetts nora and isaac from amerinik, new york. Leo from from southwater, united kingdom. Lincoln and kelty from gooding, idaho. Ciro from oakland, california catherine from philadelphia and annika, from abington, pennsylvan. We'll be back next week with another visit from the Hoax Hunters.

[Maya]

Thanks for listening.