Activity 112 Investigating Basic Circuits DLBIntroductionWhat
Activity 1.1.2 Investigating Basic Circuits (DLB)
Introduction
What is an electrical circuit? How can you manipulate components and design a circuit that will do what you want it to? This guided activity will introduce you to some components, tools, and concepts that are fundamental in electronics. It will allow you to investigate and discover:
What are voltage, current, and resistance? How are they related to one another?
What are some of the basic components that make up simple circuits and what do they do?
What are the important characteristics of a circuit and how do I measure different parts of a circuit?
How do I measure voltage in a circuit?
How does the arrangement of components affect the characteristics of the circuit?
How do I work safely with circuits?
How can I use calculations to design circuits before I start creating one?
Equipment
Digital Logic Board (DLB) or breadboard
(2) - Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
(2) - 330 Ohm resistors (orange/orange/brown/gold or silver)
Digital multimeter (DMM)
#22 Gauge solid wire
Procedure
Follow the instructions to create different types of circuits. As you create each circuit, you will be asked to make measurements and record observations to gain understanding about the circuit and its components. Let us begin by investigating two components that are commonly used in circuits. They are resistors and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
Part A: Creating a Circuit and Measuring a Circuit’s Properties
1. A Simple Circuit - Arrange the components according to the picture shown. You will need to plug the USB cable from the myDAQ into your computer to provide power to the Protoboard. Notice that the LED has a flat notch on one side. Make sure the notch is initially oriented on the bottom as shown in the picture. In this arrangement, the flow of conventional current is from the top (5V) to the bottom (0V) through the resistor and the LED. What do you think the role is of the resistor in this circuit?
(1a)
Introduction
What is an electrical circuit? How can you manipulate components and design a circuit that will do what you want it to? This guided activity will introduce you to some components, tools, and concepts that are fundamental in electronics. It will allow you to investigate and discover:
What are voltage, current, and resistance? How are they related to one another?
What are some of the basic components that make up simple circuits and what do they do?
What are the important characteristics of a circuit and how do I measure different parts of a circuit?
How do I measure voltage in a circuit?
How does the arrangement of components affect the characteristics of the circuit?
How do I work safely with circuits?
How can I use calculations to design circuits before I start creating one?
Equipment
Digital Logic Board (DLB) or breadboard
(2) - Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
(2) - 330 Ohm resistors (orange/orange/brown/gold or silver)
Digital multimeter (DMM)
#22 Gauge solid wire
Procedure
Follow the instructions to create different types of circuits. As you create each circuit, you will be asked to make measurements and record observations to gain understanding about the circuit and its components. Let us begin by investigating two components that are commonly used in circuits. They are resistors and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
Part A: Creating a Circuit and Measuring a Circuit’s Properties
1. A Simple Circuit - Arrange the components according to the picture shown. You will need to plug the USB cable from the myDAQ into your computer to provide power to the Protoboard. Notice that the LED has a flat notch on one side. Make sure the notch is initially oriented on the bottom as shown in the picture. In this arrangement, the flow of conventional current is from the top (5V) to the bottom (0V) through the resistor and the LED. What do you think the role is of the resistor in this circuit?
(1a)