The main purpose of a light dependent resistor is to change the brightness of a light in different weather conditions. This can easily be explained with the use of a watch. Some watches start to glow in the dark so that it is possible to see the time without having to press any buttons. It is the light dependent resistor that allows the watch to know when it has gotten dark, and change the emissions level of the light at that time. Traffic lights use this principle as well but their lights have to be brighter in the day time.