How diodes, LEDs and solar panels work

It looks like I may have been a little off on the explanation. Specifically attributing the movement of charge carriers exclusively to the electric field that build up. Read more about that here:

Animations by Dom Burgess. His brilliant channel, Every Think, is here:

Photovoltaic cells and LEDs are both made of diodes. Diodes are designed to allow electricity to flow in one direction only but the way we make them (out of semiconductors) means that can absorb and emit light.

Thanks to these amazing patrons on Patreon for supporting my channel:

Glenn Watson
Joël van der Loo

[ElectroBOOM]

Very well explained sir! Now I can skip this subject in peace and refer to this video

[colunizator]

as an electrical engineer, i should say this is the best explanation and animation i've seen.
Thank you

[bertusvanheerden]

As a grad student in physics, probably the most easy to understand explanation of this I've seen.

[Brockohliflower]

I feel as if my entire life would have gone down a different path if you'd been the one teaching me physics at school because this was a fantastic video.

[gigglysamentz]

At 16 I took an entire class in physics+IT cuz was told I would learn how diodes work. End of the year I complained that we never did, and the teacher answered it was impossible without learning loads of complicated stuff first.
It took Steve Mould 10 min to explain it.

[guilhemedemassenaladario]

So now is easier to understand transistors. Can you make a video about PNP and NPN transistors? would be awesome!

[rahulpujari]

I am a high school student from India, this is the best explanation ever on Diodes better than my text books. First time ever commenting on a Veritasium video in 4 years, I think this video is going to sky rocket your channel soon sir. Thank you.

[-Rahad]

This has to be the best explanation of diode in my opinion.

[gigglysamentz]

My chemistry lecturer hated anthropomorphising atoms. But in the same module he said we should use the simplest model that explains experimental observations. I think it's a good model!

[hahahurfunnyno]

I comment on of the vids that I watch. This guy is the best teacher I have ever encountered.

[TheSam]

I can attest that I got taught exactly that in a less intuitive and easy to understand manner in university. Then I said it was bullshit because the lecturer tried to tell us about "holes" without really explaining them...

[fatihkaraken]

I am an electronics engineer and I think it can not be explained any better. Well done. ;)

[alphaomega]

After going through my undergrad in physics and never actually understanding semiconductors and diodes, this video has finally let me understand them.

As for the whole use of anthropomorphism in your explanation, the way I see it, science communication is often a problem of translation from complicated science language to plain English, and anthropomorphism is one of the simplest ways to bridge that. As long as you provide the context that it's a translation tool, then I don't see what the problem with it is.

[danielbloom]

as a student studying electrical engineering this is super helpful, Thanks!

[felixr]

Omg this answered so many of my questions I had in school chemistry right now. The topic and video are both very awesome and interesting as well. Keep it up I'm really enjoying your videos ^-^

[jacobmarciniec]

This explanation makes me wish YouTube had a love button.

[nosouponhead]

The graphics in this video are INCREDIBLE. I FINALLY understand diodes. Thank you!

[michaelvendick]

Wow, this dude is really good at explaining shit. I actually understood all that. My brain now has a few more wrinkles, thanks bruh

[hithereimjack]

Read an essay on how diodes work and found it incredibly fascinating even if it was slightly difficult to understand. I think they did a great job writing the paper and the illustrations were as good as one could make them. I realized before clicking on this video however that a lot of what I read from that essay did not stick. I think after watching this that the info will stick because of your intuitive teaching style and I appreciate that very much. Thank you.

[tachzusamm]

This has been the best explanation of how diodes work I stumbled accross in decades. Good job, sir.