MONITOR.

The monitor is an important part of your computer. Why? Because the monitor shows you what the computer is doing.

The video card gets the information from your computer and organizes it. is sent through the electrical cord between the computer and the monitor.

Information enters the back of the monitor and goes into a glass tube that has three small guns: one for red, one for green, and one for blue. The guns fire an electronic beam to the screen.

The screen has lots of tiny paint dots on it. These are grouped in the same colors--red, green, and blue. Each group of dots is called a pixel. When the electronic beam hits a pixel, the pixel glows. The colors on the screen are really combinations of different colors within the electronic beam and the pixel.

Some monitors make 16 different color combinations. Other monitors make 16,777,216 color combinations. The beam works fast. It races over the entire screen and repaints it more than 60 times a second!

DOS AND DON'TS

* Set your monitor a little lower (down about 15 degrees) than eye level.

* Sit about 2 1/2 feet away from the screen.

* Do not let light shine directly on the screen. Better yet, put a glare filter over it.

* Take a five-minute break every hour from the computer, and walk or move around.

STAY SAFE

Any device that uses electricity produces EMR, or electromagnetic radiation. Although this may not cause injury, it's still a good idea to limit your exposure.

* Turn off your computer and monitor when you're not using them.

* Do not sit to the side or the back of your monitor.

* Do not cover the monitor vents when the monitor is on.

* You can clean your monitor with window cleaner. Just be sure to spray the fluid on a cleaning cloth first. Do not spray directly on the monitor.

* NEVER open the monitor case. The parts contain very high voltage, even when the monitor isn't plugged in.