Neon is a gas, which is placed in a tube and used as a colorant in light. The process involves passing an electric current through the gas, causing it to emit light. ‘Turning’ neon lamps on and off creates the electroluminescence commonly seen in neon signs.
The main difference between neon and LED is that LEDs are used primarily on fluorescent light. An electric discharge in the tube reacts with the phosphorescent material creating light. LEDs are solid devices whose color and brightness are dependent on their overall structure rather than the gas itself. While in the case of neon lights, the gas is fitted in a hand-crafted glass tube, often flexible, and the light is created when the gas reacts with the electric current. You can learn more about neon lights by visiting Neon Mama.
Neon Lights
The history of neon started with the discovery of Neon gas in 1898 by British scientists William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers. The first neon light was made by a French engineer Georges Claude, who discovered a method to extract neon from the air in 1910. In 1917, Claude invented the first neon lamp.
While the earliest forms of neons were not very practical for use in a commercial setting as they used high voltages, they were still used on special occasions such as World War II. Some neons were also used in advertising during the 1920s and 1930s, but they were too expensive for widespread use. Neon signs became more common after World War II when Claude developed a more efficient low-voltage system.
Neon lights have come a long way since then; nowadays, they are common at most shops and restaurants. However, even though neon signs are no longer quite as vital to industrial operations, they are still used in a variety of ways.
LED Lights
The history of LED lights is a fascinating topic. Albeit the notion of a light-emitting diode (LED) was first proposed in 1962, and a very crude LED light was patented in 1968, LEDs have only recently become popular. The critical factor limiting their success is the cost. Although the price has dropped steadily over the years, even with economies of scale and technological improvements, LEDs still cost more than comparable incandescent or compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).
Cost Implications
The traditional style of neons has been used for ages to create signs for businesses. Howeverpopularcost makes them out-of-reach for most common uses. While LED technology has made great improvements over the past few years, neon has still remained a standard on any business. The biggest difference between the two is that LED bulbs are solid-state lights that produce light by chemical reactions, while neon lights are made by ionizing gases and then passing an electric current through them.
Due to this fundamental difference, LEDs have rapidly become popular as they are usually small in size, consume less energy, come in a wide variety of colors and shapes, and last up to 25 years. LED signs also usually have smaller footprints, so they are more suitable for small businesses. Neon lights do have their advantages; however, Echo Neon last much longer than LED signs and don’t need to be replaced as often. It is also very difficult to match the brightness of neon lights with LEDs as well.
Power Requirements
All electronics require power to perform the functions they were designed for. This is true of LED lights as well as neon lights. Energy is required to convert electricity into photons that are perceived as light. The amount of power used to execute that is what describes how much energy is required to run a light source. These differences are related to how the two different types of lights are made.
While it is true that both LED and neon lights use electricity, they do not use it in the same ways. The LED light uses a diode as a means to convert electricity into photons. This diode usually functions from three to thirteen volts and requires no stabilizing voltage, making the power required for an LED light source very low. This is the main reason that LED lights are so small and consume such little energy. Neons, on the other hand, require a stabilizing voltage to function. This voltage is usually between one to three volts.
These high voltages require a steady electric current to maintain them at their required levels of brightness. This is why neon lights are expensive compared to LED lights; not only do they have high voltages, but they also consume an enormous amount of energy while operating at the same time.