LCD

Liquid crystal display. A display technology where sensitive liquid crystals exposed to an electric field provide the desired image. From watches to laptop computers and flat screens, many devices use this technology.

A liquid crystal is imprisoned between two glass plates polarised by electrodes. The image is formed by movements of the crystal, but the screen has to be backlit by light sources (often thin light tubes fitted to the sides of the screen), which sometimes consume more energy than the screen itself.