How do screens work?

A screen is like a window that can show pictures and videos by turning on little lights.

Like a Tiny Light Show

Imagine you have a big board filled with tiny lights, so many, you can’t even count them. Each of these tiny lights can be turned on or off. When they all work together, they make shapes, colors, and moving pictures.

The Lights Work in Teams

Each tiny light is part of a group called a pixel. A pixel is like a small square that can show different colors by mixing red, green, and blue lights, just like how you mix paint to get new colors.

When the screen gets a message (like from your phone or computer), it tells each pixel what color to be. All these pixels together make the picture you see on the screen, kind of like how a mosaic is made with many small pieces!

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A child drawing on a tablet using their finger
  2. A television showing a movie in the living room
  3. A phone displaying a photo from a family trip

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity