CIRCUITS I – BASIC CONCEPTS

CIRCUIT 1 – LIGHT

Use a power source to turn on a light bulb. Include a switch. Connections should be made with alligator clips.

Q1-Does it matter where the switch is located in the circuit?
Q2-How the light change if you change the voltage on the power source?

CIRCUIT 2 – FAN

Use a power source to power a fan.

Q-How does the light change if you change the voltage on the power source?

CIRCUIT 3 - LED

Use a breadboard to connect a circuit that has a power source lighting up an LED. Note that you need a resistor to be in series with the LED.

Q1-What are two ways to determine which side of the LED is negative?
Q2-Why do we need a resistor with the LED?
Q3-What does LED stand for?

Q4-Which holes on the breadboard are connected together?

CIRCUIT 4 – 5V VOLTAGE REGULATOR

Setup a 5V voltage regulator on a breadboard. Create the same LED and resistor circuit that you did previously but with power coming from the voltage regulator.

Q1-What does a voltage regulator do?

Q2-Sketch a voltage regulator on paper and specify how each leg (pin) is to be used. This type of diagram is called a pinout.

Q3-Use a voltmeter to measure the voltage provided from the right pin and the middle pin of the voltage regulator. Try increasing the power source’s voltage. Does the reading change? What is the reading?

Q4-What happens if the power source’s voltage is less than 5 volts? Does the voltage regulator increase its outputted voltage to 5 volts?

CIRCUIT 5 – LEDs in SERIES

Using a breadboard, power source and voltage regulator, connect two LEDs and a resistor all in series in a circuit.

Q1-What happens if one of the LEDs is connected backwards?

Q2-What happens if one of the LEDs were to break?

CIRCUIT 6 – LEDs in PARALLEL

Using a breadboard, power source and voltage regulator, connect two LEDs in parallel to a resistor.

Q1-What happens if one of the LEDs is connected backwards?

Q2-What happens if one of the LEDs were to break?

CIRCUIT 7 – DIODE

Using a breadboard, power source and voltage regulator, connect a diode, LED and resistor in series. Try flipping the diode around. What do you notice?

Q1-What does a diode do?