ELECTRIFYING LEDS
WHAT WE ARE MAKING
WHY WE ARE MAKING IT
an LED circuit to illuminate our designed lamps
to understand electricity, voltage, and circuits
ACTIVITY MATERIALS
By pinching the two wires coming out of LED on either side of the 3V button cell battery, we can create a circuit by connecting the + side of the battery to the - side of the battery, which results in the flow of electrons through the wires and the Light Emitting Diode.
THE SIMPLEST CIRCUIT
Electrons jumping from atom to atom in the metal (a conductor material) is the flow of electricity.
An LED circuit requires three basic elements. The light, the wires that create a loop, and a battery.
A switch can also be added to allow you to open and close the circuit, turning on and off the light.
+
-
a switch is an electrical drawbridge when the bridge is up the electrons can't go anywhere
the Light Emitting Diode [LED] will provide our light
the battery holds the electrons
LED CIRCUIT BASICS
LEDs
switch
wires
batteries
LED
switch
battery
BUILDING A SIMPLE CIRCUIT
3
Volts
A battery is a device that stores chemical energy and converts it to electrical energy. The chemical reactions in a battery involve the flow of electrons from one material (electrode) to another, through an external circuit. The flow of electrons provides an electric current that can be used to do work.
THE BATTERY
1.8 - 3.3
Volts
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current flows through it. LEDs have positive (+) and negative (-) sides to them. For an LED to work it needs to be connected to a voltage source with the correct side.
THE LED
A switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit. Interrupting the electric current turns the LED off, connecting the current turns it on.
THE SWITCH
Securing the wires to the switch
Attach the metal ends of wires through holes of switch prongs
Secure each side with tape - make sure the wires aren't touching each other!
Consider how the light of your LED is being directed and diffused in your lamp
Forward Directional Light Beam of an LED
Light Beam bounced and diffused
Description
We will be creating a simple LED circuit to illuminate our custom designed lamps.
Instructions
Learn the basics of electricity, battery voltage, switches, and LED polarity to prototype a simple circuit. Then, consider the design implications of embedding the LED into our paper lamp creations.
Deliverables
Photograph your explorations with circuits and post about how you intend to use the LED in your lamp in a unique way to create a specific lighting effect.