ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Seven-segment display

Hello there kiddo!

Do you know what a scoreboard is? You know, those big screens you see in sports games that show the scores of the teams playing?

Well, a seven-segment display is kind of like a mini version of that. It's a small screen that can show numbers and some letters too, but it's made up of just seven little segments that light up to make the shapes of the numbers and letters.

The seven segments are arranged in the shape of the number 8. There are three segments on top, three on the bottom and one in the middle. When we want to show a number, we light up the segments that make up that number. For example, if we want to show the number 5, we light up the segments that make up the top, middle and bottom lines, as well as the top-left and bottom-right segments.

We can use seven-segment displays in all sorts of things like alarm clocks, calculators, and even some remote controls. They're a simple and easy way to show numbers without needing a big screen.

So that's what a seven-segment display is kiddo, a little screen that can show numbers and letters by lighting up seven little segments. Pretty neat, huh?