Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)

- Is a resistor that is photoconductive. This means as the material is exposed to light, it

will become more conductive and less resistive.
- An LDR is also known as a photoresistor, photoconductive cell or photo cell.
- The LDR is made from light sensitive material such as Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) or
cadmium selenide (CdSe). It is a semiconductor.
- The resistance can vary from several hundred million ohms to several hundred ohms.
- The photo cell is useful for low light applications.
- The resistance change is not proportional to the light striking it.
- It can stand high operating voltages of 200 to 300 volts with a low power consumption
of up to 300 milliwatts.

Photo Conductor construction and schematic symbol

Applications
 Used in light meters for photographic equipment.
 Automatic door openers.
 To turn on and off outdoor home security lights; during the day, the natural sunlight
decreases the resistance of the photo resistor and this low resistance is used to keep the
lights off. At dusk, the sunlight is almost gone and the photoresistor’s resistance
increases. The increased resistance is used to turn on the security light.

LDR Circuit Application