Circuits Are Fun Project (the Thing You Got at the Arsenal Project Trick or Treat)

This project is intended to illustrate the basics of creating an electric circuit.

Materials:

Star or Leaf

2 pieces of copper tape

1 LED

1 coin cell battery

Scissors

Before you start, look at the LED and notice that there is a short leg and a long leg.

Poke the two legs of the LED through the star. The paper is card stock, so you'll have to give it a good push. If you have trouble, get it started by poking some holes in the paper with push pins. Make sure you remember which leg is long and which is short. It can be a little hard to tell in the next step.

Once you've poked through the cardstock, push the two legs down creating a horizontal line. To keep track of the legs you can write a + next to the long leg and a - next to the short leg.

Tape down the long leg of the LED with copper tape. You may need to cut it down to make it the right size. Make sure you secure the tape firmly around the metal leg. The circuit will break if the leg and the copper tape are not connected tightly.

Secure the second piece of copper tape to the short/negative leg of the LED, but only press it down about half way. You need to leave some of the adhesive free to tape to the battery.

Note that the battery has a positive and negative side (positive side shown in picture). Tape the negative side to the copper tape that hasn't been adhered to the star yet. Make sure there is a firm connection.

Complete the circuit by touching the positive side of the battery to the copper taped down on top of the long/positive leg of the LED.

If the circuit is working, the light will be lit.

If your LED does not light up check that your battery is connected to the right legs and that your copper tape is firmly touching the LED legs.

Still not working? Try some problem solving. That's what making is all about!