Copyright © 2014 by Elenco Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. … · 2019. 3. 2. · project...

Copyright © 2014 by Elenco® Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced by 753095any means; electronic, photocopying, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher.

CM-125_Manual_031514.qxp_CM-125_Manual_031514 4/2/14 12:19 PM

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1. Most circuit problems are due to incorrectassembly, always double-check that yourcircuit exactly matches the drawing for it.

2. Be sure the motor (M1) “+” marking ispositioned as per the drawing.

3. Be sure that all connections are securelysnapped.

4. Try replacing the batteries.

ELENCO® is not responsible for partsdamaged due to incorrect wiring.

Basic Troubleshooting

Note: If you suspect you have damaged parts,you can follow the Advanced Troubleshootingprocedure on page 8 to determine which onesneed replacing.

WARNING FOR ALL PROJECTS WITH ASYMBOLMoving parts. Do not touch the motor or fanduring operation. Do not lean over the motor. Donot launch the fan at people, animals, or objects.Eye protection is recommended.

WARNING: Always check your wiringbefore turning on a circuit. Never leavea circuit unattended while the batteriesare installed. Never connect additionalbatteries or any other power sources toyour circuits. Discard any cracked orbroken parts.

Adult Supervision: Because children’sabilities vary so much, even with agegroups, adults should exercisediscretion as to which experiments aresuitable and safe (the instructionsshould enable supervising adults toestablish the experiment’s suitability

for the child). Make sure your childreads and follows all of the relevantinstructions and safety procedures,and keeps them at hand for reference.

This product is intended for use byadults and children who have attainedsufficient maturity to read and followdirections and warnings.

Never modify your parts, as doing somay disable important safety featuresin them, and could put your child at riskof injury.

● Use only 1.5V “AA” type, alkalinebatteries (not included).

● Insert batteries with correct polarity.● Non-rechargeable batteries should not be

recharged. Rechargeable batteries shouldonly be charged under adult supervision, andshould not be recharged while in the product.

● Do not mix old and new batteries.● Do not connect batteries or battery

holders in parallel.

● Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium)batteries.

● Remove batteries when they are used up.● Do not short circuit the battery terminals.● Never throw batteries in a fire or attempt

to open its outer casing.● Batteries are harmful if swallowed, so

keep away from small children.

Batteries:!

Basic Troubleshooting 1Parts List 2How to Use Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 3About Your Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 Parts 4, 5Introduction to Electricity 6DOs and DON’Ts of Building Circuits 7

Advanced Troubleshooting 8Project Listings 9, 10Projects 1 - 125 11-60Other Circuit Maker Products 61Project Shapes 62

WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD - Never connect Circuit MakerSkill Builder 125 to the electrical outlets in your home in any way!

Table of Contents

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD -Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.!

Conforms to all applicableU.S. government

requirements.

!!


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Parts List (Colors and styles may vary) Symbols and Numbers

Important: If any parts are missing or damaged in shipping, DO NOT RETURN TO Target. Call toll-free (800) 533-2441 or e-mail [email protected]. Customer Service ● 150 Carpenter Ave. ● Wheeling, IL 60090 U.S.A.

Qty. ID Name Symbol Part # Qty. ID Name Symbol Part #

r 1 Base Grid(11.0” x 7.7”) 6SCBG

r 1 r 1

MotorGlow Fan

6SCM16SCM1FG

r 3 1-Snap Wire 6SC01 r 1 NPN Transistor 6SCQ2

r 6 2-Snap Wire 6SC02 r 1 100W Resistor 6SCR1

r 3 3-Snap Wire 6SC03 r 1 1KW Resistor 6SCR2

r 1 4-Snap Wire 6SC04 r 1 Photoresistor 6SCRP

r 1 5-Snap Wire 6SC05 r 1 Slide Switch 6SCS1

r 1 6-Snap Wire 6SC06 r 1 Press Switch 6SCS2

r 1 Battery Holder - usesTwo 1.5V type AA (not incl.) 6SCB1 r 1 Speaker 6SCSP

r 1 470mF Capacitor 6SCC5 r 1 MusicIntegrated Circuit 6SCU1

r 1 Red Light EmittingDiode (LED) 6SCD1 r 1 Alarm

Integrated Circuit 6SCU2

r 1 2.5V Lamp 6SCL1 r 1 Space WarIntegrated Circuit 6SCU3

6

5

4

3

2

1

B1

D1

C5

L1

M1

Q2

R1

R2

S1

S2

U3

U2

U1

SP

RP


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How to Use Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 uses buildingblocks with snaps to build the differentelectronic circuits in the projects. Each blockhas a function: there are switch blocks, lightblocks, battery blocks, different length wireblocks, etc. These blocks are different colorsand have numbers on them so that you caneasily identify them. The blocks you will beusing are shown as color symbols with levelnumbers next to them, allowing you to easily snap them together to form a circuit.

For Example:This is the switch block which is green and hasthe marking on it. The part symbols in thisbooklet may not exactly match theappearance of the actual parts, but will clearlyidentify them.

This is a wire block which is blue and comesin different wire lengths.This one has the number , , , ,or on it depending on the length of the wireconnection required.

There is also a 1-snap wire that is used as aspacer or for interconnection betweendifferent layers.

You need a power source to build each circuit.This is labeled and requires two (2) 1.5V“AA” batteries (not included).

A large clear plastic base grid is included withthis kit to help keep the circuit blocks properlyspaced. You will see evenly spaced posts thatthe different blocks snap into. The base hasrows labeled A-G and columns labeled 1-10.

Next to each part in every circuit drawing is asmall number in black. This tells you whichlevel the component is placed at. Place allparts on level 1 first, then all of the parts onlevel 2, then all of the parts on level 3, etc.

Usually when the motor is used, the glowfan will be placed on it. On top of the motorshaft is a black plastic piece (the motor top)with three little tabs. Lay the fan on the blackpiece so the slots in its bottom “fall into place”around the three tabs in the motor top. If notplaced properly, the fan will fall off when themotor starts to spin.

Note: While building the projects, becareful not to accidentally make a directconnection across the battery holder (a“short circuit”), as this may damage and/orquickly drain the batteries.

S2

2 3 4 5

6

B1M1


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About Your Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 Parts(Part designs are subject to change withoutnotice).

BASE GRID

BATTERY HOLDER

The base grid is a platform for mounting partsand wires. It functions like the printed circuitboards used in most electronic products, or likehow the walls are used for mounting theelectrical wiring in your home.

SNAP WIRES

The batteries (B1) produce an electrical voltageusing a chemical reaction. This “voltage” can bethought of as electrical pressure, pushingelectricity through a circuit just like a pumppushes water through pipes. This voltage ismuch lower and much safer than that used inyour house wiring. Using more batteriesincreases the “pressure”, therefore, moreelectricity flows.

Battery Holder (B1)

SLIDE & PRESS SWITCHESThe slide & press switches (S1 & S2) connect(pressed or “ON”) or disconnect (not pressed or“OFF”) the wires in a circuit. When ON theyhave no effect on circuit performance. Switchesturn on electricity just like a faucet turns onwater from a pipe.

Slide & PressSwitches(S1 & S2)

RESISTORS

The photoresistor (RP) is a light-sensitiveresistor, its value changes from nearly infinite intotal darkness to about 1,000W when a brightlight shines on it.

Photoresistor (RP)

LAMP

CAPACITORThe 470mF capacitor (C5) can store electricalpressure (voltage) for a period of time. Thisstorage ability allows it to block stable voltagesignals and pass changing ones. Capacitors areused for filtering and delay circuits.

A light bulb, such as in the 2.5V lamp (L1),contains a special thin high-resistance wire.When a lot of electricity flows through, this wiregets so hot it glows bright. Voltages above thebulb’s rating can burn out the wire.

Lamp (L1)

Resistors “resist” the flow of electricity and areused to control or limit the current in a circuit.Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 includes 100W(R1) and 1KW (R2) resistors (“K” symbolizes1,000, so R2 is really 1,000W). Materials likemetal have very low resistance (<1W), whilematerials like paper, plastic, and air have near-infinite resistance. Increasing circuit resistancereduces the flow of electricity.

Resistors (R1 & R2)

Capacitor (C5)

The blue snap wiresare wires used toconnect components.

They are used to transportelectricity and do not affect

circuit performance. They come indifferent lengths to allow orderly

arrangement of connections on the base grid.


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About Your Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 Parts

Electromagnet

Shaft

Shell

Magnet

Power Contacts

The motor (M1) converts electricity intomechanical motion. An electriccurrent in the motor willturn the shaft and themotor blades, and the fanblade if it is on themotor.

MOTOR SPEAKER

TRANSISTORThe NPN transistor (Q2) is a component thatuses a small electric current to control a largecurrent, and is used in switching, amplifier, andbuffering applications. Transistors are easy tominiaturize, and are themain building blocks ofintegrated circuitsincluding the micro-processor and memorycircuits in computers.

NPN Transistor (Q2)

LED

LED (D1)

The red LED (D1) is a light emitting diode andmay be thought of as a special one-way lightbulb. In the “forward” direction, (indicated by the“arrow” in the symbol) electricity flows if thevoltage exceeds a turn-on threshold (about1.5V); brightness then increases. A high currentwill burn out an LED, so the current must belimited by other components in the circuit. LEDsblock electricity in the “reverse” direction.

Motor (M1)

How does electricity turn the shaft in the motor?The answer is magnetism. Electricity is closelyrelated to magnetism, and an electric currentflowing in a wire has a magnetic field similar tothat of a very, very tiny magnet. Inside the motoris a coil of wire with many loops wrapped aroundmetal plates. This is called an electromagnet. Ifa large electric current flows through the loops,it will turn ordinary metal into a magnet. Themotor shell also has a magnet on it. Whenelectricity flows through the electromagnet, itrepels from the magnet on the motor shell andthe shaft spins. If the fan is on the motor shaft,then its blades will create airflow.

(+) HLD

OUT(–)

TRG

Space War IC:

INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (ICs)

IN1

(+) OUT

IN2(–)

Alarm IC:Connections:IN1, IN2, IN3 - control inputs(–) - power return to batteriesOUT - output connection

Connect control inputs to (+) powerto make five alarm sounds, seeproject 22 for configurations.

IN1

(–)

IN2 IN3

OUT

Some types of electronic components can besuper-miniaturized, allowing many thousands ofparts to fit into an area smaller than yourfingernail. These “integrated circuits” (ICs) areused in everything from simple electronic toys tothe most advanced computers. The music,alarm, and space war ICs (U1, U2, and U3) inCircuit Maker Skill Builder 125 are actuallymodules containing specialized sound-generation ICs and other supporting components(resistors, capacitors, and transistors) that arealways needed with them. This was done tosimplify the connections you need to make to usethem. The descriptions for these modules aregiven here for those interested, see the projectsfor connection examples:

Connections:(+) - power from batteries(–) - power return to batteriesOUT - output connection IN1, IN2 - control inputs

Connect each control input to (–)power to sequence through 8sounds.

Music IC:Connections:(+) - power from batteries(–) - power return to batteriesOUT - output connection HLD - hold control inputTRG - trigger control input

Music for a few seconds on power-up, then hold HLD to (+) power ortouch TRG to (+) power to resumemusic.

The speaker (SP) converts electricity intosound by making mech-anical vibrations. Thesevibrations create vari-ations in air pressure,which travel across theroom. You “hear” soundwhen your ears feelthese air pressurevariations.

Speaker (SP)


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Introduction to ElectricityWhat is electricity? Nobody really knows. We only know how to produce it,understand its properties, and how to control it. Electricity is the movement ofsub-atomic charged particles (called electrons) through a material due toelectrical pressure across the material, such as from a battery.

Power sources, such as batteries, push electricity through a circuit, like a pumppushes water through pipes. Wires carry electricity, like pipes carry water.Devices like LEDs, motors, and speakers use the energy in electricity to dothings. Switches and transistors control the flow of electricity like valves andfaucets control water. Resistors limit the flow of electricity.

The electrical pressure exerted by a battery or other power source is calledvoltage and is measured in volts (V). Notice the “+” and “–” signs on the battery;these indicate which direction the battery will “pump” the electricity.

The electric current is a measure of how fast electricity is flowing in a wire, justas the water current describes how fast water is flowing in a pipe. It is expressedin amperes (A) or milliamps (mA, 1/1,000 of an ampere).

The “power” of electricity is a measure of how fast energy is moving through awire. It is a combination of the voltage and current (Power = Voltage x Current).It is expressed in watts (W).

The resistance of a component or circuit represents how much it resists theelectrical pressure (voltage) and limits the flow of electric current. Therelationship is Voltage = Current x Resistance. When the resistance increases,less current flows. Resistance is measured in ohms (W), or kilo ohms (KW,1,000 ohms).

Nearly all of the electricity used in our world is produced at enormous generatorsdriven by steam or water pressure. Wires are used to efficiently transport thisenergy to homes and businesses where it is used. Motors convert the electricityback into mechanical form to drive machinery and appliances. The mostimportant aspect of electricity in our society is that it allows energy to be easilytransported over distances.

Note that “distances” includes not just large distances but also tiny distances. Tryto imagine a plumbing structure of the same complexity as the circuitry inside aportable radio - it would have to be large because we can’t make water pipes sosmall. Electricity allows complex designs to be made very small.

There are two ways of arranging parts in a circuit, in series orin parallel. Here are examples:

Placing components in series increases the resistance;highest value dominates. Placing components in paralleldecreases the resistance; lowest value dominates.

The parts within these series and parallel sub-circuits may bearranged in different ways without changing what the circuitdoes. Large circuits are made of combinations of smallerseries and parallel circuits.

Series Circuit

Parallel Circuit


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DOs and DON’Ts of Building CircuitsAfter building the circuits given in this booklet, you may wish to experiment onyour own. Use the projects in this booklet as a guide, as many important designconcepts are introduced throughout them. Every circuit will include a powersource (the batteries), a resistance (which might be a resistor, capacitor,speaker, integrated circuit, etc.), and wiring paths between them and back. Youmust be careful not to create “short circuits” (very low-resistance paths acrossthe batteries, see examples at right) as this will damage components and/orquickly drain your batteries. Only connect the ICs using configurations given inthe projects, incorrectly doing so may damage them. ELENCO® is notresponsible for parts damaged due to incorrect wiring.

Here are some important guidelines:ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION WHEN ExPERIMENTING ON YOUR

OWN.ALWAYS include at least one component that will limit the current through a

circuit, such as the speaker, lamp, ICs (which must be connectedproperly), motor, photoresistor, or resistor.

ALWAYS use the LED, NPN transistor, and switches in conjunction with othercomponents that will limit the current through them. Failure to do sowill create a short circuit and/or damage those parts.

ALWAYS disconnect your batteries immediately and check your wiring ifsomething appears to be getting hot.

ALWAYS check your wiring before turning on a circuit.ALWAYS connect capacitors so that the “+” side gets the higher voltage.ALWAYS connect ICs using configurations given in the projects or as per the

connection descriptions for the parts.NEVER connect to an electrical outlet in your home in any way.NEVER leave a circuit unattended when it is turned on.NEVER touch the motor when it is spinning at high speed.

For all of the projects given in this book, the parts may be arranged in differentways without changing the circuit. For example, the order of parts connected inseries or in parallel does not matter — what matters is how combinations ofthese sub-circuits are arranged together.

Placing a 3-snap wire directlyacross the batteries is aSHORT CIRCUIT.

When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this large circuit has a SHORTCIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows). The short circuit prevents anyother portions of the circuit from ever working.

NEVERDO!

Examples of SHORT CIRCUITS - NEVER DO THESE!!!

Warning to Circuit Maker owners: Do not connectadditional voltage sources from other sets, or youmay damage your parts. Contact ELENCO® if youhave questions or need guidance.

WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD - Never connect Circuit MakerSkill Builder 125 to the electrical outlets in your home in any way!

!

!

!NEVER

DO!

!

NEVERDO!

!

This is also aSHORT CIRCUIT.

!NEVER

DO!


Advanced Troubleshooting (Adult supervision recommended)

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ELENCO® is not responsible for partsdamaged due to incorrect wiring.

If you suspect you have damaged parts,you can follow this procedure tosystematically determine which ones needreplacing:

1. 2.5V lamp (L1), motor (M1), speaker(SP), and battery holder (B1): Placebatteries in holder. Place the 2.5V lampdirectly across the battery holder, itshould light. Do the same with themotor (motor + to battery +), it shouldspin to the right at high speed. “Tap” thespeaker across the battery holdercontacts, you should hear static as ittouches. If none work then replace yourbatteries and repeat, if still bad then thebattery holder is damaged. If the motorspins but does not balance the fan,check the black plastic piece on themotor shaft; it should have 3 prongs.

2. Snap wires: Use this mini-circuit to testthe 5-snap and 6-snap wires. The lampshould light. Then test each of the 1-snap, 2-snap, 3-snap, and 4-snapwires by connecting themb e t w e e nthe ends ofthe 5-snapand 6-snap.

3. Slide switch (S1) and Press switch(S2): Build Project #1, if the lamp (L1)doesn’t light then the slide switch isbad. Replace the slide switch with thepress switch to test it.

4. 100W resistor (R1), 1KW resistor(R2), and LED (D1): Build Project #11except initially use the speaker (SP) inplace of the resistor, the LED shouldlight. Then, replace the speaker withthe 100W resistor; the LED should stilllight. Then, replace the 100W resistorwith the 1KW resistor; the LED shouldlight but not as brightly.

5. Alarm IC (U2): Build Project #21, youshould hear a siren. Then place a 3-snap wire between grid locations A1and C1, the sound is different. Thenmove the 3-snap from A1-C1 to A3-C3to hear a third sound.

6. Music IC (U1): Build Project #86 butuse the press switch (S2) in place ofthe photoresistor (RP). Turn it on andthe LED (D1) flickers for a while andstops, it resumes if you press and holddown the press switch. Then touch a 3-snap wire across base grid points A1and C1 and the flickering resumes for awhile.

7. Space war IC (U3) and photoresistor(RP): Build Project #4, both switches(S1 and S2) should change the sound.Then replace the slide switch (S1) withthe photoresistor, waving your handover it should change the sound.

8. NPN transistor (Q2): Build Project#31. When both switches are on, thelamp lights and motor spins. If oneswitch is off, nothing happens.

9. 470mF capacitor (C5): Build Project#50, then press and release the switch.The LED should go off slowly.

Customer ServiceCall toll-free: (800) 533-2441

e-mail: [email protected]


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Project # Description Page #

1 Turn on the Light 11

2 Up, Up, and Away! 11

3 Super Circuit 12

4 Space War 13

5 Loud in Light 13

6 Paper Player 13

7 Stick Around Saucer 14

8 Rotate & Roar 14

9 Spin & Dim 15

10 Balanced Buddies 15

11 The Diode Dude 16

12 One Way Works 16

13 Clippy the Conductor 17

14 Nifty Noises 17

15 Mumbling Motor 18

16 Lift Loss 18

17 Hi-Low Fan 19

18 Fuse or Lose 19

19 Magical Music 20

20 Press & Play 20

21 Simple Siren 21


22 Laser Blaster 21

23 Mind Reader Game 22

24 Don’t Make a Sound 23

25 Discover the Diode 23

26 Shine On Siren 24

27 Shooting Sounds 24

28 Song & Siren 24

29 Ambulance Melody 24

30 Static Song 24

31 Transistor Control 25

32 Slow & Bright 25

33 Stop & Shine 25

34 Murky Motor 25

35 Mixed Up Music 26

36 Blaster Disaster 26

37 Siren & Song 26

38 Ambulance Song 26

39 Space Battle 27

40 Bizarre Blinker 27

41 Sporadic Sounds 27

42 Blinking Double Flashlight 27


43 Motor Magic 28

44 Spin & Shoot 28

45 Spin Out Siren 28

46 Whirl Out Warning 28

47 Turn a Tune 28

48 Wave & Watch 29

49 Switching Sounds 29

50 Lingering Light 30

51 Current Splitter 30

52 Light Up & Listen 30

53 Auto-Off Night Light 31

54 Auto-Off Day Light 31

55 Reflection Detector 32

56 Music Reflection Detector 32

57 Laser Flasher 33

58 Flash & Flicker 33

59 Spinning Rings 34

60 Strobe the House Lights 34

61 Race Game 35

62 Using Parts as Conductors 35

63 Spin Draw 36

Project Listings



64 Singing Motor 36

65 Visual Volume 37

66 Daylight Alarm 37

67 Bang-Bang Bright 37

68 Daylight Danger 37

69 Crooks & Cars 37

70 Pop On, Pop Off 38

71 Little R Rules 38

72 Big R Rules 38

73 Little to Big 39

74 Luminate & Rotate 39

75 Light to Light 39

76 Switch & Store 40

77 Crazy Combo 40

78 Alien Alarm 41

79 Same or “NOT” 41

80 This OR That 42

81 This AND That 42

82 Neither This NOR That 43

83 NOT This AND That 43

84 Two-way Light Switch 44


85 Electron Warehouse 44

86 Light Makes Light 45

87 Go & Glow 45

88 Spin & Stop 45

89 Flashing Flare 46

90 Touch & Go 46

91 Two-Tone Twinkler 46

92 Fan Flash Energy 47

93 Photo Timer Light 47

94 Room Light to Red Light 47

95 Fun with the Alarm IC 48

96 Dancing Motor 48

97 Musical Light 48

98 Music Alarm Combo 49

99 Hit the Target 49

100 Many Missiles 49

101 Sing & Fling 50

102 Power Pitch 50

103 Long Gone Light 51

104 Slow Siren Changer 51

105 The Dark Dimmer 52


106 Lagging Light 52

107 Sonic Flasher 53

108 Stay or Blink 53

109 Glow & Go 54

110 Fading Siren 54

111 Light the Motor 55

112 Motor Space Sounds 55

113 Twist & Blink 55

114 Morse Code 56

115 Light to Dark 56

116 Power Shifter 56

117 Touch of Light 57

118 Change & Charge 57

119 Electricity You Can Wear 58

120 Electricity In Your Hair 58

121 Bending Water 59

122 Static Tricks 59

123 Sunrise Light 60

124 Light-controlled Lamp 60

125 Motor-controlled Lamp 60

Project Listings

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Up, Up, and Away!

Project #1 Turn on the Light

Project #2

Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 uses electronic blocksthat snap onto a clear plastic grid to build differentcircuits. These blocks have different colors andnumbers on them so that you can easily identify them.

Build the circuit shown on the left by placing all theparts with a black 1 next to them on the board first.Then, assemble parts marked with a 2. Install two (2)“AA” batteries (not included) into the battery holder(B1) if you have not done so already.

When you turn on the slide switch (S1), electricityflows from the batteries through the lamp (L1) andback to the batteries through the switch. The switchcompletes the circuit. The lamp gets bright aselectricity flows through it.

Snappy says the lamp containsa special thin high-resistancewire. When a lot of electricityflows through it, it gets so hot itglows bright.

The air is being blown down through the bladeand the motor rotation locks the fan on the shaft.When the motor is turned off, the blade unlocksfrom the shaft and is free to act as a propellerand fly through the air. If speed of rotation is tooslow, the fan will remain on the motor shaftbecause it does not have enough lift to propel it.

-11-

Placement Level Numbers


! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch thefan or motor during operation. Do not leanover the motor.

WARNING: Fan may not rise until switch isreleased.!

Build the circuit shown on the left by placing the partswith a black 1 next to them on the base grid first.Then, assemble parts marked with a 2. Place theglow fan on the motor. New alkaline batteries arerecommended for this project.

Turn on the slide switch (S1), wait for the motor toreach full speed, then turn off the switch. The glowfan should rise and float through the air like a flyingsaucer. Be careful not to look directly down on theglow fan when it is spinning.

If the fan doesn’t fly off, then turn the switch on andoff several times rapidly when it is at full speed.

The glow fan will glow in the dark. It will glow bestafter absorbing sunlight for a while. The glow fan ismade of plastic, so be careful not to let it get hotenough to melt. The glow looks best in a dimly litroom.

+


Project #3 Super Circuit

PlacementLevel

Numbers

This complex circuit is picturedon the box cover. Use that as aguide to help in building it.

! WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch thefan or motor during operation. Do not leanover the motor.

WARNING: Fan may not rise until switch isreleased.!

Circuit Maker Skill Builder 125 uses electronicblocks that snap onto a clear plastic grid tobuild different circuits. These blocks havedifferent colors and numbers on them so thatyou can easily identify them.

Build the circuit shown above by placing all theparts with a black 1 next to them on the boardfirst. Then, assemble parts marked with a 2.Then, assemble parts marked with a 3. Then,assemble the part marked with a 4 (the alarmIC (U2), which should be placed directly overthe music IC (U1)). Install two (2) “AA” batteries(not included) into the battery holder (B1).

Place the glow fan on the motor (M1).

Turn on the slide switch (S1). You hear musicand alarm sounds, and the red LED (D1) lights.The lamp (L1) may light briefly before the redLED turns on. Cover the photoresistor (RP) tochange the sound a little.

Push the press switch (S2) to spin the motorand glow fan. Release the press switch whenthe motor is spinning at full speed. The glow fanshould float through the air like a flying saucer.Be careful not to look directly down on the glowfan when it is spinning.

If the fan doesn’t fly off, then push and releasethe press switch several times rapidly when it isat full speed.

If the 470mF capacitor (C5) is discharged whenyou turn on the slide switch, then the lamp willlight for a few seconds as the circuit charges upC5. L1 will not light again until C5 isdischarged. To discharge C5, remove it fromthe circuit and place it directly on the 4-snapwire for an instant, then move it back to itsnormal spot in the circuit.

-12-


+


Project #4 Space War

-13-

Project #5Loud in Light

Project #6Paper Player

The Space War, Alarm, and Music ICs containspecialized ICs combined with other electricalcomponents (resistors, capacitors, transistors)designed to produce various cool sounds and music.

The photoresistor contains material that changes itsresistance when it is exposed to light; as it gets morelight, the resistance of the photoresistor decreases.Parts like this are used in a number of ways that affectour lives. For example, you may have streetlights inyour neighborhood that turn on when it starts gettingdark and turn off in the morning.

Build the circuit shown on the left, which uses the space war integratedcircuit. Activate it by flipping the slide switch (S1) or pressing the pressswitch (S2), do both several times and in combination. You will hear anexciting range of sounds, as if a space war is raging!

The space war IC (U3) is a super-miniaturized electronic circuit thatcan play a variety of cool sounds stored in it by using just a few extracomponents.

In movie studios, technicians are paid to insert these sounds at theprecise instant a gun is fired. Try making your sound occur at the sametime an object hits the floor. It is not as easy as it sounds.

Use the circuit from Project #4 above, but replace the slide switch (S1)with the photoresistor (RP). The circuit immediately makes noise. Tryturning it off. If you experiment, then you can see that the only ways toturn it off are to cover the photoresistor, or to turn off the lights in the room(if the room is dark). Since light is used to turn on the circuit, you mightsay it is a “light switch”.

Use the same circuit as for Project #5. Find a piece of white paper thathas a lot of large black or dark areas on it, and slowly slide it over thephotosensitive resistor. You may need to shine a flashlight over the paper.You should hear the sound pattern constantly changing, as the white anddark areas of the paper control the light to the photosensitive resistance.You can also try the pattern below or something similar to it.


-14-

Project #8 Rotate & Roar

Project #7

Build the circuit shown on the left, but leave the fan off the motor (M1).When you turn on the slide switch (S1), the music may play for a shorttime and then stop. After the music has stopped, spin the motor withyour fingers. The music should play again for a short time, then stop.

Now replace the 100W resistor (R1) with a 3-snap wire, and notice howthe sound is affected.

In this project, you changed the amount of current that goes throughthe speaker (SP) and increased the sound output of the speaker.

Resistors are used throughout electronicsto limit the amount of current that flows.

Build the circuit shown on the left which is the same as the circuit inProject #2 but with the motor part reversed. Place the glow fan on themotor.

Turn on the slide switch (S1), wait for the motor to reach full speed,then turn off the switch. This time, the glow fan does not fly becausethe fan is now rotating in the opposite direction such that the airflow ispushing the fan downward.

Stick Around Saucer

!WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan ormotor during operation.

+


-15-

Project #9 Spin & Dim

Project #10 Balanced Buddies



Build the circuit shown on the left.

When you turn on the slide switch (S1), the fan will spin and the lamp(L1) should turn on. The fan will take a while to start turning due toinertia. Inertia is the property that tries to keep a body at rest frommoving and tries to keep a moving object from stopping.

The lamp helps protect the motor from getting the full voltage when theswitch is turned on. Part of the voltage goes across the lamp and therest goes across the motor. Remove the fan and notice how the lampgets dimmer when the motor does not have to spin the fan blade.

The parts are arrangedas a series circuit. Youcan swap the locationsof any of the partswithout affecting circuitoperation.


When you turn on the slide switch (S1), both the fan and the lamp (L1)should turn on. The fan will take a while to start turning due to inertia.In this connection, the lamp does not change the current to the motor(M1). The motor should start a little faster than in Project #9.

Remove the fan and notice how the lamp does not change inbrightness as the motor picks up speed. It has its own path to thebattery (B1).

The parts are arranged as aparallel circuit. Parallelcircuits are often used inresidential homes so thatturning on one devicedoesn’t limit the current toother devices.

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Project #11 The Diode Dude

Project #12 One Way Works

An electronic component thatneeds to be connected in onedirection is said to have polarity.Other parts like this will bediscussed in future projects.Placing the LED in backwards doesnot harm it because the voltage isnot large enough to break down thiselectronic component.

LEDs are used in all types of electronicequipment to indicate conditions andpass information to the user of thatequipment. Can you think of somethingyou use everyday that has an LED in it?


When you turn on the slide switch (S1), current flows from the batteries(B1) through the switch, through the 100W resistor (R1), through theLED (D1, light emitting diode) and back to the battery. The turned onswitch completes the circuit. The resistor limits the current and preventsdamage to the LED. NEVER PLACE AN LED DIRECTLY ACROSSTHE BATTERY! If no resistor is in the circuit, the battery may pushenough current through the LED to damage the semiconductor that isused to produce the light.

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Rebuild the circuit used in Project #11 but put the LED in as shown onthe left.

This time when you turn on the slide switch (S1), current does not flowfrom the batteries (B1) through the 100W resistor (R1) or through theLED (D1), and hence the LED does not light up. This is because theLED is in backwards. The LED is like a check valve that lets currentflow in only one direction (into the + end and out the other end).


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Project #13 Clippy the Conductor

Project #14 Nifty Noises

This detector can be used to see if a material like plastic is agood conductor or a poor conductor. Materials that make theLED bright pass electricity easily, and are called conductors.Most metals are good conductors, and copper is used inmost house wiring. Materials that block the flow of electricityare called insulators. Plastic, paper and air are insulators.

A photoresistor is a light-controlled variableresistor. The resistance of the photoresistordecreases with increasing light intensity.

Rebuild the circuit from Project #11 but leave the slide switch (S1) outas shown on the left.

When you place a paper clip across the terminals as shown in thepicture on the left, current flows from the batteries (B1) through the100W resistor (R1), through the LED (D1), and back to the battery. Thepaper clip completes the circuit and current flows through the LED.Place your fingers across the terminals and the LED does not light.Your body is too high of a resistance to allow enough current to flow tolight the LED. If the voltage, which is electrical pressure, was higher,current could be pushed through your fingers and the LED would light.

Build the circuit shown. Turn it on, press the press switch (S2) severaltimes, and wave your hand over the photoresistor (RP) to hear all thesound combinations. You can make the sound from the alarm IC (U2)louder by replacing the 100W resistor (R1) with the 2.5V lamp (L1).


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Project #15

Project #16 Lift LossBuild the circuit to the left.

Cover the photoresistor (RP) and turn on the slide switch (S1). Themotor (M1) should spin. If not, give it a push to get it started. Nowuncover the photoresistor or get a flashlight and shine it on thephotoresistor. The motor will slow down as more light reaches thephotoresistor, and will stop spinning if enough light reaches thephotoresistor. This circuit demonstrates how darkness can be used tocontrol a fan. Try this circuit with and without the fan on the motor.

Mumbling Motor

!WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch thefan or motor during operation.

+Place the fan on the motor (M1). Press the press switch (S2) and listento the motor. Why does the motor make sound?

If you replace the motor with the 2.5V lamp (L1), then it will work thesame as the “Hear the Motor” project, but only make noise when thelamp is turned ON or OFF.

A motor uses magnetism to convert electricalenergy into mechanical spinning motion. As themotor shaft spins around it connects / disconnectsseveral sets of electrical contacts to give the bestmagnetic properties. As these contacts areswitched, an electrical disturbance is created,which the speaker (SP) converts into sound.

!WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch thefan or motor during operation.


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Project #17 Hi-Low Fan

Fuse or Lose

!WARNING:Moving parts. Do nottouch the fan or motorduring operation.


Project #18

The principle of removing resistance toincrease motor speeds is only one way ofchanging the speed of the motor. Commercialfans do not use this method because it wouldproduce heat in the resistor and fans are usedto cool circuits by moving air over them.Commercial fans change the amount ofvoltage that is applied to the motor using atransformer or other electronic device.


When you close the slide switch (S1), current flows from the batteriesthrough the slide switch (S1), motor (M1), the lamp (L1), and back tothe battery (B1). When the press switch (S2) is closed, the lamp isshorted and motor speed increases.

Use the circuit built in Project #17.

When you close the slide switch (S1), current flows from the batteriesthrough the slide switch (S1), the lamp (L1), motor (M1), and back to thebattery (B1). Pretend the 2-snap wire marked fuse in the drawing on theleft is a device that will open the circuit if too much current is taken fromthe battery. When press switch (S2) is closed, the light is shorted andmotor speed increases due to an increase in current to the motor. Whilestill holding press switch (S2) down, remove the 2-snap wire markedfuse and notice how everything stops. Until the fuse is replaced, theopen circuit path protects the electronic parts. If fuses did not exist,many parts could get hot and even start fires. Replace the 2-snap wireand the circuit should return to normal.

Many electronic products inyour home have a fuse that willopen when too much current isdrawn. Can you name some?


Project #19 Magical Music

Project #20 Press & Play

Musical integrated circuits are used toentertain young children in many of the toysand chairs made to hold infants. If the musicis replaced with words, the child can alsolearn while they are entertained. Because ofgreat advances in miniaturization, manysongs are stored in a circuit no bigger than apinhead.

Having no resistor in series with the speakerallows more current to flow through the speakerproducing a louder sound.

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Build the circuit shown on the left. When you turn on the slide switch(S1), the music integrated circuit (U1) may start playing one song thenstop. Each time you press the press switch “doorbell button” (S2) thesong will play again and stop. Even if you let go of the press switch(S2), the integrated circuit keeps the song playing until it has reachedthe end of the song.

Modify the circuit used in Project #19 to look like the one shown on theleft.

When you turn on the slide switch (S1), the music integrated circuit(U1) may start playing one song then stop. The song will be muchlouder than in the previous project because it is now being used as analarm. Each time you press the press switch “alarm button” (S2) afterthe song stops playing, the song will play again, but only while you holdthe button down.


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Project #21 Simple Siren

Project #22 Laser Blaster

If the alarm sound in this circuitwas passed through an amplifierand installed into a police car, itwould also serve as a goodpolice siren.

This circuit demonstrateshow sounds can be madefor electronic games.


When you turn on the slide switch (S1), the integrated circuit (U2)should start sounding a very loud alarm sound. This integrated circuit isdesigned to sweep through all the frequencies so even hard of hearingpeople can be warned by the alarm.


When you turn on the slide switch (S1), the integrated circuit (U2)should start sounding a laser gun sound. This integrated circuit isdesigned to produce different sounds that can easily be changed. Youcan even switch the sound on and off quickly to add sound effects toyour games or recordings.


Project #23 Mind Reader GameBuild the circuit below. It uses a paper clip anda 3-Snap Wire as “shorting bars”.

Setup: Player 1 sets the target by placing the3-snap shorting bar under the paper on column2, 3 or 4. Player 2 must NOT know where theshorting bar is located under the paper.

The object is for Player 2 to guess the locationby placing one end of the paper clip on the 5-snap wire as shown, and the other end of thepaper clip at positions X, Y, or Z and thenpressing the press switch (S2). If Player 2places the paper clip at the correct position, thesounds played indicates a “hit”. He keepsguessing until he hits. After each hit, remove the

3-snap shorting bar and slide the switch off andon to reset the sound.

Player 2 then sets the 2, 3, 4 side and player 1tries his luck.

Play multiple rounds and see who gets the bestoverall score. The winner will be the player whois best at reading his opponent’s mind.

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Paper Sheet tohide position ofshorting bar


Project #25 Discover the Diode

Project #24 Don’t Make a Sound

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Use the circuit from Project #23, but now place a 3-snap wire and theLED (D1) as “shorting bars” under the paper sheet as shown on left.

Setup: Player 1 sets the “Quiet Zone” by placing the 3-snap wire andthe LED (D1) under the paper on columns 2, 3 or 4, leaving only oneopen. Player 2 must NOT know where these “shorting bars” arelocated under the paper.

Both Player 1 and Player 2 are given 10 points. The object is for Player2 to guess the location of the “Quiet Zone” by placing the paper clip atpositions X, Y, or Z and pressing the press switch. If Player 2 placesthe paper clip on the correct column, and a sound plays when hepresses the press switch, this means he has not found the “QuietZone” and he loses 1 point. He has three (3) tries to find the zone oneach turn. Each time sounds are made he loses a point.

Player 2 then sets the 2, 3 or 4 side and player 1 starts searching. Playcontinues until one player is at zero points and makes sound duringthat players turn.

Paper sheetto hideposition ofshorting bar

Diodes are electronic components that allow current to flow in only onedirection, blocking it in the other. The red LED (D1) is a special diodethat can emit light, and the transistor (Q1) can also be used as a pairof diodes.

Turn on the slide switch (S1), the lamp (L1) will be bright and the LED(D1) will be lit. The NPN transistor (Q2) is used here as a diode,allowing the batteries to charge up the 470 mF capacitor (C5) and lightthe LED.

Turn off the slide switch, the lamp will go dark immediately but the LEDwill stay lit for a few moments as capacitor C5 discharges through it.The transistor/diode isolates the capacitor from the lamp.


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Project #26 Shine On Siren

Project #27 ShootingSounds

Project #28 Song &Siren

Project #30 StaticSong

Project #29 Ambulance

Melody

This circuit demonstrates howsounds can be synchronizedto light patterns through thephotoresistor.


Cover the photoresistor (RP) and turn on the switch (S1). A police sirenis heard for a while and stops, then you can control it by covering oruncovering the photoresistor.

Modify Project #26 byconnecting points X & Y. Thecircuit works the same way butnow it sounds like a machinegun.

Now remove the connectionbetween X & Y and then make aconnection between T & U. Thecircuit works the same way butnow it sounds like a fire engine.

Now remove the connectionbetween T & U and then make aconnection between U & Z. Thecircuit works the same way butnow it sounds like anambulance.

Now remove the connectionsbetween U & Z and between V &W, then make a connectionbetween T & U. The circuitworks the same way but now itsounds like a familiar song butwith static.


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Project #31Transistor Control

Project #32Slow & Bright

Project #33Stop & Shine

Project #34Murky Motor

!WARNING: Moving parts.Do not touch the fan or motorduring operation.



Place the fan on the motor (M1)and turn on the slide switch (S1)- nothing happens. Push thepress switch (S2), the lamplights and the motor spins.

The NPN transistor (Q2) usesthe lamp current to control themotor current. A small currentthrough the lamp branch createsa large current through themotor branch. They combine inthe transistor and leave throughthe 3-snap branch.

Compare this circuit to Project#31. It works the same way, butthe lamp is brighter here and themotor is slower.

This time the NPN transistor(Q2) uses the motor current tocontrol the lamp current. Acurrent through the motorbranch creates a larger currentthrough the lamp branch. Theycombine in the transistor andleave through the 3-snapbranch.

Compare this circuit to Project#32. It works in a similar way,but the motor does not spin eventhough the lamp is bright. Butthe lamp is not as bright here asin Project #32.

The currents in the motor branchand 3-snap branch arecombined into the lamp branch.Since the 3-snap has noresistance, the current throughits branch will be much largerthan the motor branch current.

Compare this circuit to Project#33. It works in a similar way,the lamp is off but the motorspins. But the motor does notspin as fast as in Project #31.

The currents in the lamp branchand 3-snap branch arecombined into the motor branch.Since the 3-snap has noresistance, the current throughits branch will be much largerthan the lamp branch current.


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Project #35 Mixed Up Music

Project #38Ambulance

Song

Project #37Siren & Song

Project #36BlasterDisaster

Snappy says there sure are a lot ofdifferent sounds that can be madewith the music and alarm ICs.

In the circuit, the outputs from the alarm andmusic ICs are connected together. Build thecircuit shown and then place the alarm IC (U2)directly over the music IC (U1), resting on two1-snaps and a 2-snap. Turn on the switch (S1)and you will hear a siren and music togetherwhile the lamp (L1) varies in brightness.

Modify the last circuit by connecting points Y &Z with a 2-snap (on level 5). The circuit worksthe same way but now it sounds like a machinegun with music.

Now remove the 2-snap connection between Y& Z and then make a 2-snap connectionbetween X & Y (on level 5). The circuit worksthe same way but now it sounds like a fireengine with music.

Now remove the 2-snap connection between X& Y and then make a 2-snap connectionbetween W & X (on level 5). The circuit worksthe same way but now it sounds like anambulance with music.


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Project #42BlinkingDouble

Flashlight

Project #41 Sporadic Sounds

Project #39 Space Battle Project #40BizarreBlinker

Periodic electrical signals areused for things like flashingyellow lights or sometimes inconsumer devices to indicatebatteries are low.

Build the circuit shown on theleft. Turn on the switch (S1)and you will hear excitingsounds, as if a space battle israging!

The motor (M1) is used hereas a 3-snap wire, and will notspin.

The preceding circuit is loud andmay bother people around you, soreplace the speaker (SP) with theLED (D1). Make sure you connectthe LED with the positive (+) sideon A6, not U3. Now you have asilent space battle.

Build the circuit shown on the left and turn iton. The lamp (L1) alternates between beingon and off while the speaker (SP) alternatesbetween two musical tones... like someone isflipping a switch, but at a very consistent rate.Periodic signals like this are very important inelectronics.

In the circuit at left, replace the speaker(SP) with an LED (D1). Make sure youconnect the LED with the positive (+) sideon A5, not U1. The lamp (L1) alternatesbetween being on and off while the LEDalternates between being dimmer andbrighter.


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Project #43 Motor Magic

Project #44 Spin &Shoot

Project #45 Spin Out

Siren

Project #46 Whirl OutWarning

Project #47 Turn aTune

This project shows how a motor can be used toconvert mechanical energy to electrical energy andsound. The speaker uses electromagnetism tocreate changes in air pressure, which your ears feeland interpret as sound. Think of the speaker ascreating pressure waves in the air just like waves ina pool. You only see waves in the pool when youdisturb the water, so the speaker only makes soundwhen the voltage changes.

This circuit is controlled by spinning the motor (M1) with your hands.Turn on the switch. A police siren is heard and then stops. Spin themotor and it will play again. Note, however, that music can be heardfaintly in the background of the siren.

Modify the last circuit byconnecting points X & Y with the2.5V lamp (L1). The circuitworks the same way but now itsounds like a machine gun.

Now remove the connectionbetween X & Y and then make aconnection between T & U withthe 2.5V lamp (L1). The circuitworks the same way but now itsounds like a fire engine.

Now remove the connectionbetween T & U and then make aconnection between U & Z. Thecircuit works the same way butnow it sounds like anambulance.

Now remove the connectionsbetween U & Z and between V &W, then make a connectionbetween T & U. The circuitworks the same way but now itsounds like a familiar song butwith static.


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Project #48 Wave & Watch

Project #49 Switching Sounds

People that are deaf need lights to tell themwhen a doorbell is ringing. They also usecircuits like this to tell them if an alarm hasbeen triggered or an oven is ready.

Can you think of other uses?

Different sounds that can easily bechanged are very important whendesigning games and toys.

This circuit does not use the noisy speaker (SP) but instead uses anice quiet LED (D1). Turn on the slide switch (S1), the LED flickers.Wait a few seconds, and then cover the photoresistor (RP), and theflicker stops. The flicker is controlled by the photoresistor; uncover itand the flicker resumes.

Build the circuit shown on the left. When you close the slide switch (S1),the integrated circuit (U2) should start sounding an up-down siren. Thisis just one more sound effect that this integrated circuit is designed toproduce. Switch the sound on and off quickly and see if you can createeven different effects. This mode will create many robotic sounds ifswitched quickly.


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Project #50 Lingering Light

Project #51Current Splitter

Project #52Light Up & Listen

!WARNING: Moving parts. Donot touch the fan or motor duringoperation.

Capacitors can store electricity and areused to delay changes in voltage. Theycan block unchanging voltages whilepassing fast-changing voltages.

Transistors use a small current tocontrol a large current, and have threeconnection points (the small current,the larger current, and the combinedcurrent). But they are actuallyconstructed using two diodes that areconnected together. These diodes aresimilar to your LED (light emittingdiode) except that they don’t emit light.

Build the circuit and press the switch (S2). You see that the LED (D1)turns off slowly after you release the switch.

This delay in turning off the LED is caused by the 470mF capacitor(C5).

Turn on the switch (S1), the LED(D1) and lamp (L1) are bright. Thisis an unusual circuit which uses theNPN transistor (Q2) as twoconnected diodes to split thecurrent from the batteries into thepaths with the LED and lamp. If theLED (D1) does not light, you mayhave weak batteries in need ofreplacement.

This circuit has four differenttypes of output. Flip the switch(S1) several times. The LED(D1) and lamp (L1) light up, themotor (M1) spins, and thespeaker (SP) makes a sirensound. If the LED does not light,you may have weak batteriesthat need replacement.

This is an unusual circuit whichuses the NPN transistor (Q2) astwo connected diodes, to splitthe current from the batteries(B1) into the paths with the LEDand lamp.


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Project #53 Auto-Off Night Light

Project #54 Auto-Off Day Light

This circuit would make a good night light.It would allow you to get into bed, and thenit would go out. No further current is takenfrom the battery so it will not drain thebatteries even if left on all night.

This circuit would make a good day light. It would quickly turn offthe lights when you opened the shades and let the sunlight in.

Build the circuit to the left. When you turn on the slide switch (S1) thefirst time the LED (D1) will come on and very slowly get dimmer anddimmer. If you turn the slide switch (S1) off and back on after the LEDgoes out it will NOT come on again. The 470mF capacitor (C5) hascharged up and the NPN transistor amplifier (Q2) can get no current atits input to turn it on. To discharge the capacitor (C5) and reset the circuit,press and release the switch (S2).

Cover the photoresistor (RP) and turn on the slide switch (S1). TheLED (D1) is bright, but it will very slowly get dimmer and dimmer as the470mF capacitor (C5) charges up. If you turn the slide switch (S1) offand back on after the light goes out it will NOT come on again. Pushthe press switch (S2) to discharge the capacitor and reset the circuit.

If you uncover the photoresistor and to let light shine on it, then theLED will get dark quickly. The photoresistor has much lower resistancewith light on it, and this lower resistance allows the capacitor to chargeup faster.


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Project #55 Reflection Detector

Project #56 Music ReflectionDetector

How good of a reflector is a black piece ofpaper? Tin foil? How about your hand?

Build the circuit to the left. Place it where there won’t be any room lighthitting the photoresistor (RP) (such as in a dark room or under a table),and then turn it on. The 2.5V lamp (L1) will be bright, but there shouldbe no sound.

Take a small mirror and hold it over the lamp and photoresistor. Youshould hear sound now. You have a reflection detector! You can alsouse a white piece of paper instead of a mirror, since white surfacesreflect light.

Build the circuit to the left. Place it where there won’t be any room lighthitting the photoresistor (RP) (such as in a dark room or under a table),and then turn it on. The 2.5V lamp (L1) will be bright, and one songmay play, but then there should be no sound.

Take a small mirror and hold it over the lamp and photoresistor. Youshould hear sound now. You have a music reflection detector! You canalso use a white piece of paper instead of a mirror, since whitesurfaces reflect light.


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Project #57 Laser Flasher

Project #58 Flash & Flicker

This circuit demonstrates howtoy laser guns can bedesigned.

This circuit demonstrates howcontinuous laser gun soundscan be generated.

When you press the press switch (S2), the integrated circuit shouldstart sounding a very loud laser gun sound. The red LED will flashsimulating a burst of laser light. You can shoot long repeating laserburst, or short zaps by tapping the press switch.

Build the circuit shown on the left, which uses the Space Warintegrated circuit.

Set the switch on and the speaker makes exciting sounds. The outputof the IC can control lights, speakers, and other low power devices.

You may replace the speaker (SP) with the 2.5V lamp (L1), and thebulb will flicker. You can also use the LED (D1) in place of the lamp(position it with the “+” side towards the 6-snap).


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Project #59Spinning Rings

Project #60Strobe the House Lights



Setup: Cut out the disc on page #62 that looks like the one shownhere. Using Scotch tape, attach the disc with the printed side up on thetop of the fan blade. Place the blade on the motor as shown to the leftand below.

When the press switch (S2) is pressed, the arcs will turn into coloredrings with a black background. Notice how the color drops inbrightness when it is stretched to make a complete circle.

Use the circuit from Project #59.

Setup: Place the spinning rings under a fluorescent light that runs onnormal house current. Start the disc spinning and release the pressswitch (S2). As the speed changes you will notice the white lines firstseem to move in one direction then they start moving in anotherdirection. This effect is because the lights are blinking 60 times asecond and the changing speed of the motor is acting like a strobelight to catch the motion at certain speeds. To prove this, try the sametest with a flashlight. The light from a flashlight is constant and if allother lights are out, you will not see the effect that looks like ahelicopter blade in a movie. Some fluorescent lights use an electronicballast and they also produce a constant light.


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Project #61Race Game

Project #62 Using Parts asConductors


Note that the LED (D1) lights, but the lamp (L1)does not light and the motor (M1) does not spin.Electricity is flowing through the lamp andmotor, but not enough to turn them on. So in thiscircuit they are acting like 3-snap wires. Youcould replace D1 or L1 with a 3-snap and thecircuit would work the same.

Modify Project #59 by adding the pointer as shown on the left. The paper shouldbe cut from page #62 and taped high enough on the speaker so the pointer willstick over the fan with paper. Bend the pointer at a right angle as shown on the left.

Setup: Cut out the grid with four (4) colors from page #62 and place it under thebase as shown on the left. Each player picks a color (or two colors if only 2 peopleare playing) and places a single snap on row G. The purple player in column 1,the blue player in column 2, the green player in column 3, and the yellow playerin column 4. Spin the wheel by closing the press switch (S2). The first single colorwedge that the pointer points to is the first player to start. In some models you onlyhave three 1-snaps, so use a 2-snap if you have four players.

The Play: Each player gets a turn to press the press switch. They release thepress switch and when the pointer points to a wedge, the players that match thecolors on the wedge get to move up one space. If a liner comes up like the oneshown on the left then the players on each side of the line get to move up two (2)spaces. The first player to reach the top row (A) wins. If two players reach the toprow at the same time they must both drop down to row “D” and play continues.

Turn on the slide switch (S1) and push the press switch (S2), you heara machine gun sound (with music in the background). Thoroughlycover the photoresistor with your hand and the sound becomes asiren. After a while the sound will stop, push the press switch and itresumes.


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Project #63Spin Draw

Project #64 Singing Motor

The motor has a coil and a magnet similar to thespeaker. An electrical signal in the coil creates amagnetic field, which makes the shaft spin.Normally the motor is used with a stableelectrical signal, but in this project it is used witha changing signal from the space war IC. Thiscreates mechanical vibrations, which create airpressure variations that sound like the speakerdoes, though not as efficiently.

Rebuild the simple motor connection as shown on the left. This is the same setup as Project #59. Setup: Cut out a circular piece of thin cardboard from the back of an old spiral notebook or notepad. Use the fan blade as a guide. Place the fan on the cardboard and trace around it with a pencilor pen. Cut the cardboard out with scissors and tape it to the fan blade. Do the same thing with apiece of white paper, but tape the paper on top of the cardboard so it can be removed easily later.Drawing: To make a ring drawing obtain some thin and thick marking pens as drawing tools. Spinthe paper by pressing and holding press switch (S2) down. Press the marker on the paper to formrings. To make spiral drawings, release press switch (S2) and as the motor approaches a slowspeed move the marker from the inside outward quickly.Change the colors often and avoid using too much black to get hypnotic effects. Another methodis to make colorful shapes on the disc then spin the disc and watch them blend into each other.When certain speeds are reached under fluorescent lights without electronic ballasts, the strobeprinciple shown in another project will produce strange effects and backward movement. Make awheel with different colored spokes to see this strange effect. Adding more spokes and removingspokes will give different effects at different motor speeds.

Turn on the switch and the motor spins (you may need to give it a pushwith your finger to get it started). The sounds from the IC are used todrive the motor. Because the motor uses magnets and a coil of wiresimilar to a speaker, you may even hear the space war sounds comingfaintly from the motor.


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Project #65 Visual Volume

Project #66DaylightAlarm

Project #67Bang-Bang

Bright

Project #68DaylightDanger

Project #69Crooks &

Cars

The photoresistor contains material thatchanges its resistance when it is exposed tolight. As it gets more light, the resistance ofthe photoresistor decreases. Parts like thisare used in a number of ways that affect ourlives. For example, you may have streetlightsin your neighborhood that turn on when itstarts getting dark and turn off in the morning.


Turn on the slide switch (S1), a police siren is heard. The loudness ofthe sound depends on how much light reaches the photoresistor (RP).Try partially shielding it or placing near a very bright light, and comparethe sound.

Modify the last circuit byconnecting the photoresistor topoints A & X. The circuit worksthe same way but now it soundslink an ambulance when enoughlight reaches the photoresistor.

Now remove the photoresistorfrom points A & X and connect itto points C & Z. The circuitworks the same way but now itsounds like a machine gun whenenough light reaches thephotoresistor.

Now connect a 3-snap to makea connection between A & X.Keep the photoresistorconnected between points C &Z. Now depending on how muchlight reaches the photoresistor,you will hear either anambulance or machine gunsound.

Now remove the connectionbetween A & X and then make aconnection between B & Y. Thecircuit works the same way butnow depending on how muchlight reaches the photoresistoryou will hear either a police sirenor machine gun sound.


Project #70 Pop On, Pop Off

Project #71Little R Rules

Project #72Big R Rules

The speaker uses electromagnetism to createchanges in air pressure, which your ears feeland interpret as sound. Think of the speakeras creating pressure waves in the air just likewaves in a pool. You only see waves in thepool when you disturb the water, so thespeaker only makes sound when the voltagechanges.

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Turn the slide switch (S1) on and off several times. You hear static fromthe speaker (SP) when you turn off the switch.

Turn on either or both switchesand compare the LEDbrightness.

This circuit has the 100W and1KW resistors (R1 and R2)arranged in parallel. You cansee that the smaller 100W

resistor controls the brightnessin this arrangement.

Turn on either or both switchesand compare the LEDbrightness.

This circuit has the 100W

resistor (R1), the 1KW resistor(R2), and the photoresistor (RP)arranged in series. You can seethat the larger photoresistorlimits the brightness in thisarrangement (the resistance ofthe photoresistor will be muchhigher than the others, unlessthe light is very bright).


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Project #73 Little to Big

Project #74Luminate & Rotate

Project #75Light to Light



Transistors, such as the NPN transistor (Q2), can amplifyelectric currents. In this circuit, the small current through theresistor is used to control a larger current through the motor. Alarge resistor value limits the current through the lamp, makingit very dim, but the transistor amplified current is large enoughto still spin the motor.

Place the fan on the motor (M1) and turn on the slide switch (S1), thencompare this circuit to Project #31. Push the press switch (S2), the lampdoesn’t light now but the motor still spins.The lamp is dark because the 100W resistor (R1) limits the current through it.The NPN transistor (Q2) uses the small lamp current to create a large currentthat spins the motor.Now replace the 100W resistor (R1) with the larger 1KW resistor (R2). Themotor spins more slowly now, because the transistor cannot create as large ofa motor current from such a small controlling current.

Compare this circuit to Project #73. It usesthe photoresistor (RP) to control the currentto the NPN transistor (Q2), instead of thepress switch (S2). You can adjust the speedof the motor (M1) by changing how muchlight shines on the photoresistor.

The lamp is dark because the photoresistorlimits the current through it. The NPNtransistor uses the small lamp current tocreate a large current that spins the motor.

If you tried to control the motor speed byplacing the photoresistor in series with themotor, the motor would not spin becausethe photoresistor would limit the current.But the photoresistor can control the motorspeed with help from the transistor. Youmay need to shine a light on thephotoresistor (RP) if the motor does notspin.

Compare this circuit to Project #32. Push thepress switch (S2), the motor (M1) doesn’tspin now but the lamp (L1) still lights.

The motor doesn’t spin because the 100W

resistor (R1) limits the current through it.The NPN transistor (Q2) uses the smallmotor current to create a large current thatlights the lamp.

Now replace the 100W resistor (R1) withthe larger 1KW resistor (R2). The lamp isonly slightly less bright even though themotor current is much lower.

Now place the 100W resistor back in thecircuit and replace the press switch withthe photoresistor (RP). A bright light on thephotoresistor will turn the lamp on. But ifthe light is dim, then the photoresistor hashigh resistance, so little current flowsthrough the transistor and the lamp is off.

WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fan or motor duringoperation. Do not lean over the motor.

WARNING: Fan may not rise until switch is released.!!


Project #77 Crazy Combo

Project #76 Switch & Store

The electricity supplied to your home by your electriccompany is actually a changing voltage. Manyelectronic products use rectifier circuits to convertthis into a constant voltage like a battery provides.

The music and space war ICs (U1 and U3) areactually modules containing specialized sound-generation ICs and other supportingcomponents (resistors, capacitors, andtransistors) that are always needed with them.This was done to simplify the connections youneed to make to use them.

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Turn on the slide switch (S1) and the LED (D1) lights; it will not be very bright soturn off the room lights or hold your fingers around it to see it better. Push thepress switch (S2) several times slowly; the LED and lamp (L1) go on and off.Push the press switch many times quickly - the lamp still goes on and off butthe LED stays on. Next, remove the 470mF capacitor (C5) from the circuit - theLED goes on and off now. Why?Pressing the switch quickly simulates a changing voltage, which turns the LEDon and off. The 470mF capacitor can store electricity, and it combines with theNPN transistor (Q2) to simulate a rectifier. This rectifier converts the changingvoltage at the press switch into a constant voltage, which keeps the LED on.You can replace the 1KW resistor (R2) with the 100W resistor (R1). This makesthe LED a little brighter but you have to press the switch faster to keep it on,because the lower resistance drains the capacitor faster.

Build the circuit shown. Turn it on, press the press switch (S2) severaltimes, and wave your hand over the photoresistor to hear all the soundcombinations. You can make the sound from the music IC louder byreplacing the 100W resistor (R1) with the 2.5V lamp (L1).


Project #79 Same or “NOT”

Although this circuit seems simple,inverters or NOT gates are veryimportant in digital logic circuits.

Project #78 Alien Alarm

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Build the circuit shown on the left and turn on the slide switch (S1).Press and hold the press switch (S2) to make the lamp (L1) brighter.

Build the circuit shown. Notice that when the press switch (S2) ispressed, the LED (D1) goes off. This is an example of an invertercircuit, or NOT gate. Whenever the input is high (switch is on), theoutput is low (LED is off) and whenever the input is low (switch is off)the output is high (LED is on). Disassemble the circuit when finished toavoid draining your batteries.


Project #80 This OR That

Project #81 This AND That

This circuit is commonly called an OR gate.OR gates are used in digital logic circuits toperform logical additions. When one of theinputs is high (one of the switches is on) theoutput is high (LED on). The output will onlybe low (LED off) if both inputs are low (bothswitches are off).

This circuit is commonly called an AND gate. ANDgates are used in digital logic circuits to perform logicalmultiplies. When one of the inputs is low (one of theswitches is off) the output is low (LED off). The outputwill only be high (LED on) if both inputs are high (bothswitches are on). Combinations of AND and ORcircuits are used to add and multiply numbers togetherin modern computers. These circuits are made of tinytransistors in massive integrated circuits.

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Build the circuit shown. Notice that if you turn on the slide switch (S1) ORpress the press switch (S2) the LED (D1) lights up. There is no partiallylit state here, the diode is either totally on or totally off. While this mayseem very simple and boring, it represents an important concept inelectronics. Two switches like this may be used to turn on a light in yourhouse, or they might be two sensors at a railroad crossing used to startthe ding-ding sound and lower the gate. You could also have more thantwo switches and the circuit would function the same way.

Build the circuit shown. Notice that if you turn on the slide switch (S1)AND press the press switch (S2) the LED (D1) lights up. Once again,there is no partially lit state here, the LED is either totally on or totallyoff. Two switches like this may be used to turn on the same light in yourhouse, the room switch and the master switch in the electrical box. Youcould also have more than two switches and the circuit would functionthe same way.


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Project #82 Neither This NOR That

Project #83 NOT This AND That

This circuit is commonly called a NOR gate. NORgates are used in digital logic circuits to performan inverted logical add. When one of the inputs ishigh (one of the switches is on) the output is low(LED off). The output will only be high (LED on) ifboth inputs are low (both switches are off).

Build the circuit at left and test the combinations of the slide switch (S1)and press switch (S2). If you compare it to the OR circuit in Project#80, you can see the LED (D1) lights in the opposite combinations ofthat circuit. Hence, we refer to it as a NOR circuit (short for “NOT thisOR that”). Like the OR and AND, it is an important building block incomputers.

This circuit is commonly called a NAND gate.NAND gates are used in digital logic circuits toperform an inverted logical multiply. When one ofthe inputs is low (one of the switches is off) theoutput is high (LED on). The output will only below (LED off) if both inputs are high (bothswitches are on).

Build the circuit at left and test the combinations of the slide switch (S1)and press switch (S2). If you compare it to the AND circuit in Project#81, you can see the LED (D1) lights in the opposite combinations ofthat circuit. Hence, we refer to it as a NAND circuit (short for “NOT thisAND that”). This circuit can also have more or less than two inputs,though when it only has one input it is referred to as a NOT circuit. Likethe OR, AND, and NOR, NAND and NOT are important building blocksin computers.


Project #84 Two-way Light Switch

Project #85 Electron Warehouse

Notice that a capacitor is not veryefficient at storing electricity - comparehow long the 470mF capacitor kept theLED lit with how your batteries run allof your projects! That is because acapacitor stores electrical energy whilea battery stores chemical energy.

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Build the circuit on the left. Note that two of the 2-snaps are leftunconnected on one end because they will be used as switches in thisproject. If you connect the free ends of each of these 2-snaps both tothe “high bar” or positions B in the figure or both to the “low bar” orpositions A in the figure, the LED (D1) lights up. But if you connect thefree end of one of the 2-snaps to the “high bar” and the free end of theother 2-snap to the “low bar”, then the LED does not light up.

Build the circuit, then connect points B & C (use a 2-snap wire) for amoment. Nothing appears to happen, but you just filled up the 470mFcapacitor (C5) with electricity. Now disconnect B & C and instead toucha connection between A & B. The red LED (D1) will be lit and then goout after a few seconds as the electricity you stored in it is dischargedthrough the LED and resistor (R2).


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Project #86 Light Makes Light

Project #87Go & Glow

Project #88 Spin & Stop


Build the circuit to the left. Cover the photoresistor, turn the switch on,and notice that the LED is on for several seconds and then goes off.Uncover the photoresistor and place the unit near a light and the LEDwill light. Cover the photoresistor (RP) again and the LED will turn off.The resistance of the photoresistor decreases as the light increasesactivating the U1 IC that varies the voltage to the LED making it light.

Use the circuit from Project #86. Connect the motor (M1) across pointsA1 and C1 on the base grid, and remove the photoresistor (RP). Turnthe switch on and the LED (D1) lights for several seconds then goesout. Turn the shaft of the motor and the LED will light again. As themotor turns, it produce a voltage. There is a magnet and a coil insidethe motor. When the axis turns the magnetic field will change andgenerate a small current through its terminals. This voltage thenactivates the music IC.

Place the fan on the motor and turn on the slide switch (S1). The motorspins briefly as the 470mF capacitor (C5) charges up. Turn off the slideswitch and push the press switch (S2) to discharge the capacitor andreset the circuit.

You can bypass the capacitor by pushing the press switch while theslide switch is on. This lets the motor spin at full speed and also lightsthe lamp.


Project #91 Two-Tone Twinkler

Project #89Flashing Flare

Project #90Touch & Go

Connecting the output of the Alarmor Music ICs to multiple devices(such as the LED, speaker andlamp) enables these devicesoperations to be synchronized.

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Build the circuitshown on the left.The circuit usesthe Alarm andSpace War ICs toflash the LED(D1). Turn theswitch on and theLED startsflashing.

Wet your fingers with somewater or saliva and touch themacross points A and B severaltimes to hear some space warsounds. Push the press switch(S2) to hear more sounds atthe same time.

This circuit uses your body toconduct electricity, and turn onthe circuit. Wetting your fingersimproves the connectionbetween the metal and yourfinger.

Turn the switch (S1) on and the lamp (L1) and LED (D1) start flashing.You hear two different tones driving the LED and lamp. ICs can beconnected to control many different devices at the same time.


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Project #92 Fan Flash Energy

Project #93Photo Timer Light

Project #94Room Light to Red Light

Place the fan on the motor (M1). Hold down the press switch (S2) fora few seconds and then watch the LED (D1) as you release the switch.The LED flashes briefly but only after the batteries (B1) aredisconnected from the circuit.Do you know why the LED flashes? It flashes because the mechanicalenergy stored in the fan blade makes the motor act like a generator.When the switch is released, this energy creates a brief currentthrough the LED.If you reverse the motor direction, then the LED will light the same way,but the fan may fly off after the LED lights.

Press and release thepress switch (S2), thenturn on the slide switch(S1). The LED will lightfor a while when thereis room light on thephotoresistor (RP) andslowly dims.

The capacitor (C5) willstore energy until a lightshines on the photoresistor to release theenergy, which activatesthe NPN transistor (Q2)and turns on the LED(D1). Press the pressswitch again torecharge the capacitor.

!WARNING: Moving parts. Do nottouch the fan or motor during operation. !

WARNING: Do notlean over the motor.

Turn on the switch, thebrightness of the LEDdepends on how much roomlight shines on thephotoresistor. The resistancedrops as more light shines,allowing more current to theNPN.


Project #95 Fun with the Alarm IC

Project #96 DancingMotor

Project #97Musical

Light

!WARNING: Moving parts. Do not touch the fanor motor during operation.


Photoresistors can be used tocontrol many devices such asstreet lights, clock radio alarms,night lights, etc.

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Place the fan on the motor (M1) and turn on the slide switch (S1). Thelamp (L1) lights, the motor spins, and you hear a machine gun sound(with very faint music in background). Thoroughly cover thephotoresistor (RP) with your hand and the sound becomes a siren.After a while the sound will stop, hold down the press switch (S2) andthe sound resumes.

Place the fan on the motor (M1) andturn on the slide switch (S1). A songis heard and the fan spins unevenly.The fan speed is being controlled bythe music IC (U1).

Now push the press switch (S2) tocontrol the motor directly, and themotor spins much faster.

Use the circuit in Project #96.Replace the motor (M1) with the2.5V lamp (L1). Now the music IC(U1) and press switch (S2)control the lamp brightness.


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Project #98 Music Alarm Combo

Project #99 Hit the Target Project #100Many

Missiles

Build the circuit shown and then place thealarm IC (U2) directly over the music IC (U1),resting on the three 1-snaps. Turn on theslide switch (S1) and you will hear a siren andmusic together. After a few seconds, coveringthe photoresistor (RP) will stop the music (butthe siren continues).

Turn the slide switch (S1) onand you hear the sound of abomb dropping and thenexploding. The LED (D1) lightsand then flashes as the bombexplodes. This is one soundgenerated from the space warIC (U3).

Use the circuit from Project #99.Replace the slide switch (S1) with themotor (M1). Turn the shaft on the motorand now it sounds like a bunch of bombsdropping.


Project #102

Project #101 Sing & Fling

Power Pitch


! WARNING: Do not lean over the motor.



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In the circuit, the outputs from the alarm and music ICs are connectedtogether. Build the circuit shown and then place the alarm IC (U2)directly over the music IC (U1), resting on two 1-snaps and a 2-snap.Turn on the slide switch (S1) and you will hear a siren and musictogether while the lamp (L1) varies in brightness. Push the pressswitch (S2) and the fan spins, while the sound may not be as loud. Thefan may rise into the air when you release the switch.

In the circuit, the outputs from the alarm (U2) and music ICs areconnected together. Build the circuit shown and then place the alarmIC (U2) directly over the music IC (U1), resting on three 1-snaps. Turnon the slide switch (S1) and you will hear a siren and music together.Push the press switch (S2) and the fan spins, while the sound may notbe as loud. The fan may rise into the air when you release the switch.

This circuit is similar to Project #101, but the fan will fly a little highersince the sound circuit no longer drives the lamp (L1) and thereforeuses less battery power.


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Project #103 Long Gone Light

Project #104 Slow Siren Changer



This circuit demonstrates howcapacitors store up energy whenS2 is pressed, and then dischargeenergy when S2 is released.

Push the press switch (S2). If the fan is off the motor (M1) (or flies off)then the LED (D1) will be bright.

It takes a lot of current to spin the motor when the fan is on it, and thevoltage drops because the batteries (B1) cannot supply enough. Whenthe fan flies off, the current drops and the voltage rises. The NPNtransistor (Q2, used here as a diode) and 470mF capacitor (C5) are adetector circuit, which measures the voltage at the motor.

Turn on the slide switch (S1) and you hear a siren sound.

Now hold down the press switch (S2) until the sound becomes a fireengine sound. This delay is due to the 470mF capacitor (C5) chargingup and is controlled by the photoresistor (RP). If there is bright light onthe photoresistor, then the delay will be only a few seconds.

Release the press switch and after a while the sound will be a sirenagain. The capacitor slowly discharges through the NPN transistor (Q2).


Project #105 The Dark Dimmer

Project #106 Lagging Light

This circuit shows how capacitorscan be used to provide a delay.This type of circuit is used in houselighting to fade out the lights whenyou turn the switch off.

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Turn on the slide switch (S1) and push the press switch (S2). If thereis light on the photoresistor (RP), then the LED (D1) will stay on for along time after you release the press switch.

The energy stored in the 470mF capacitor (C5) keeps the controllingcurrent to the NPN transistor (Q2) on even though the press switchwas turned off. If it is dark, the high resistance of the photoresistorshuts off the current to the transistor.

Build the circuit and turn on the slide switch (S1). The LED (D1) isbright but slowly gets dark as the 470mF capacitor (C5) charges up.

The LED will stay dark until you push the press switch (S2), whichdischarges the capacitor.


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Project #107 Sonic Flasher

Project #108 Stay or Blink

Set the slide switch (S1) on, a space war sound plays and the LED(D1) flashes. Cover the photoresistor (RP) and press the press switch(S2) to change the sound. See how many sounds are programmedinto the space war sound IC (U3).

Build the circuit and turn on the slide switch (S1). The LED (D1) is dim,and is actually flashing very quickly, and the speaker (SP) makes asiren sound. Now push the press switch (S2) to connect the 470mFcapacitor (C5) to the circuit. The LED is brighter and stops flashing.

The signal from the alarm IC (U2) to the speaker is a changing voltage,which is why the LED was flashing. The 470mF capacitor can storeelectricity, and it combines with the NPN transistor (Q2) to make arectifier. A rectifier converts a changing voltage into a constant voltage,so the LED stays on constantly instead of flashing.

Rectifiers are used to convert the AC voltage from the outlets in yourhouse to a DC voltage used by most of the devices in your house.


Project #109 Glow & Go

Project #110 Fading Siren

This type of circuit is used in alarmsystems to detect light. If an intruderturned on a light or hit the sensor with aflashlight beam, the alarm would triggerand probably force the intruder to leave.

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Build the circuit to the left. Turn on the slide switch (S1). The alarm willsound, as long as light is present. Slowly cover the photoresistor (RP),and the volume goes down. If you turn off the lights, the alarm will stop.The amount of light changes the resistance of the photoresistor (lesslight means more resistance). The photoresistor and NPN transistor(Q2) act like a dimmer switch, adjusting the voltage applied to thealarm.

First, place the 470mF capacitor (C5) across points A & B to dischargeit. Then build the circuit as shown on the left. Press the switch (S2), theintegrated circuit should make the sound of an up-down siren that getsweaker with time. The fading is produced by the charging of the 470mFcapacitor (C5). After it is charged, the current stops and the sound isvery weak.

To repeat this effect you must release the press switch (S2), removethe capacitor (C5), and discharge it by placing it across the snaps onthe bottom bar marked A & B. Then, replace the capacitor (C5) andpress the switch again.


Project #111 Light the Motor

Project #112 Motor Space Sounds Project #113Twist &

Blink


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This circuit combines Projects #1, #2, and #10 into one circuit.

Build the circuit and place the fan on the motor (M1). Depending onwhich of the switches (S1 and S2) are on, you can turn on either thelamp (L1) (Project #1), the motor (M1) (Project #2), or both together(Project #10).

Turn it on and wait for anysounds to stop. Then, spinthe motor (M1) and thesounds play again.

Do you know why turning themotor makes the sound play?Actually, the DC motor is alsoa DC generator and whenyou turn it, the motorgenerates a voltage thattriggers the sound circuits.

This circuit is loud and may botherother people around you soreplace the speaker (SP) with theLED (D1), (position it like in Project#89); the circuit operates in thesame manner but now the LEDflashes instead of the speakermaking sounds.


Project #115Light to Dark

Project #114 Morse Code

Morse Code: The forerunner of today’s telephonesystem was the telegraph, which was widely used inthe latter half of the 19th century. It only had twostates - on or off (that is, transmitting or nottransmitting), and could not send the range offrequencies contained in human voices or music. Acode was developed to send information over longdistances using this system and a sequence of dotsand dashes (short or long transmit bursts). It wasnamed Morse Code after its inventor. It was alsoused extensively in the early days of radiocommunications, though it isn’t in wide use today. Itis sometimes referred to in Hollywood movies,especially Westerns.

MORSE CODEA . _B _ . . .C _ . _ .D _ . .E .F . . _ .G _ _ .H . . . .I . .J . _ _ _K _ . _L . _ . .M _ _

N _ .O _ _ _P . _ _ .Q _ _ . _R . _ .S . . .T _U . . _V . . . _W . _ _X _ . . _Y _ . _ _Z _ _ . .

Period . _ . _ . _Comma _ _ . . _ _Question . . _ _ . .1 . _ _ _ _2 . . _ _ _3 . . . _ _4 . . . . _5 . . . . .6 _ . . . .7 _ _ . . .8 _ _ _ . .9 _ _ _ _ .0 _ _ _ _ _

Project #116Power Shifter

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This simple circuit can be used for communication. Press the press switch (S2)in long and short bursts to make a pattern of light flashes representing the dotsand dashes shown in the Morse Code table below. You can use Morse Codeand this circuit to send secret messages to some friends in the room withoutothers knowing what you’re saying.

If you have a strong flashlight or searchlight then you can send messages to

friends far away at night. During World War II Navy ships sometimescommunicated by flashing Morse Code messages between ships usingsearchlights (because radio transmissions might reveal their presence to theenemy).

Years ago Indians would send messages to other tribes using smoke signalsand a special code.

Turn on the slide switch (S1), thebrightness of the LED (D1)depends on how LITTLE lightshines on the photoresistor (RP).The resistance drops as more lightshines, diverting current away fromthe NPN transistor (Q2).

When you turn on theslide switch (S1), theLED (D1) is on andthe lamp (L1) is off.

Push the pressswitch (S2) to bypassthe LED. The lampturns on and the LEDturns off. This showshow switches can beused to shift powerbetween differentdevices.


Project #117 Touch of Light

Project #118 Change & Charge

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Build the circuit on the left. You’re probably wondering how it can work,since one of the points on the NPN transistor (Q2) is unconnected. Itcan’t, but there is another component that isn’t shown. Thatcomponent is you.

Touch points X & Y with your fingers. The LED (D1) may be dimly lit.The problem is your fingers aren’t making a good enough electricalcontact with the metal. Wet your fingers with water or saliva and touchthe points again. The LED should be very bright now. Think of thiscircuit as a touch lamp since when you touch it, the LED lights. Youmay have seen such a lamp in the store or already have one in yourhome.

Turn the slide switch (S1) on and connect points A & B with a 2-snapwire. The LED (D1) will flash and the 470mF capacitor (C5) will becharged with electricity. The electricity is now stored in the capacitor.Disconnect points A & B. Connect points B & C and there will be a flashfrom the 2.5V lamp (L1).

The capacitor discharges through the resistor to the base of the NPNtransistor (Q2). The positive current turns on the transistor like aswitch, connecting the lamp to the negative (–) side of the batteries(B1). The light will go out after the capacitor discharges, because thereis no more current at the base of the transistor.


Find some clothes that cling togetherin the dryer, and try to uncling them.

Note: This project works best ona cold dry day. If the weather ishumid, the water vapor in the airallows the static electric charge todissipate, and this project may notwork.

The crackling noise you hear whentaking off a sweater is staticelectricity. You may see sparkswhen taking one off in a dark room.

Snappy says: clothescan cling togetherbecause electricity isall around us.

Rub a sweater (wool is best) andsee how it clings to other clothes.

Project #119 Electricity You Can Wear

Project #120 Electricity In Your HairSnappy says: notice howyour hair can “stand up” or beattracted to the comb whenthe air is dry. Wetting your hairdissipates the static charge.

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Did you ever wonder why clothes clingtogether when they come out of the dryer? Didyou ever hear a crackling sound when you takeoff a sweater? (If the room is dark you mighteven see sparks.) Did you ever feel a “zap”when you touch someone wearing a sweateron a dry day?

These effects are caused by electricity. Wecall this static electricity because the electricalcharges are not moving, although pullingclothes apart sounds like static on a radio.When electricity is moving (usually throughwires) to do something in another place, wecall it an electric current.

You need a comb (or a plastic ruler) and somepaper for this project. Rip up the paper into smallpieces. Run the comb through your hair severaltimes then hold it near the paper pieces to pickthem up. You can also use a pen or plastic ruler,rub it on your clothes (wool works best).Rubbing the comb through your hair pullsextremely tiny charged particles from yourhair onto the comb. These give the comb astatic electrical charge, which attracts thepaper pieces.Note: This project works best on a cold dryday. If the weather is humid, the water vaporin the air allows the static electric charge todissipate, and this project may not work.


Static electricity wasdiscovered more than 2,500years ago when the Greekphilosopher Thales noticedthat when amber (a hard,clear, yellow-tinted material)is rubbed, light materials likefeathers stick to it. Electricityis named after the Greekword for amber, which iselectron.

Project #121 Bending Water

Electricity vs. Gravity:Electricity is immensely more powerful than gravity (gravity is what causes thingsto fall to the ground when you drop them). However electrical attraction is socompletely balanced out that you don’t notice it, while gravity’s effects are alwaysapparent because they are not balanced out.

Gravity is actually the attraction betweenobjects due to their weight (or technically,their mass). This effect is extremely smalland can be ignored unless one of theobjects is as big as a planet (like the earth).Gravity attraction never goes away and isseen every time you drop something.Electrical charge, though usually balancedout perfectly, can move around and changequickly.

For example, you have seen how clothescan cling together in the dryer due to staticelectricity. There is also a gravity attractionbetween the sweaters, but it is alwaysextremely small.

Note: This project works best on acold dry day. If the weather is humid,the water vapor in the air allows thestatic electric charge to dissipate,and this project may not work.

If you have two balloons, rub them to asweater and then hang the rubbed sidesnext to each other. They repel away. Youcould also use the balloons to pick uptiny pieces of paper.

Electricity Gravity

Take a piece of newspaper or other thinpaper and rub it vigorously with asweater or pencil. It will stick to a wall.

Cut the paper into two long strips, rubthem, then hang them next to each other.See if they attract or repel each other.

Project #122 Static Tricks

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You need a comb (or plastic ruler) and a waterfaucet for this project. Run the comb throughyour hair several times then hold it next to aslow, thin stream of water from a faucet. Thewater will bend towards it. You can also use aplastic ruler. Rub it on your clothes (wool worksbest).

Rubbing the comb through your hair builds up astatic electrical charge on it, which attracts thewater.

Note: This project works best on a cold dry day.If the weather is humid, the water vapor in theair allows the static electric charge to dissipate,and this project may not work.


Project #124 Light-controlled Lamp

Project #125Motor-controlled Lamp

Project #123 Sunrise Light

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Build the circuit to the left. Cover the photoresistor (RP), turn the slide switch(S1) on, and notice that the lamp (L1) is off after several seconds. Place theunit near a light and the lamp turns on. Cover the photoresistor again. Thelamp turns off. The resistance of the photoresistor decreases as the lightincreases. The low resistance acts like a wire connecting point C to thepositive (+) side of the battery activating the music IC (U1).

Use the circuit from Project #124. Remove the photoresistor (RP) and connectthe motor (M1) across points A & B. The lamp (L1) lights for a few seconds andthen turns off. Turn the slide switch (S1) on and turn the shaft of the motor andthe lamp will light. As the motor turns, it produces a voltage. This is becausethere is a magnet and a coil inside the motor. When the axis turns the magneticfield will change and generate a small current in the coil and a voltage acrossits terminals. The voltage then activates the music IC (U1).

Cover the photoresistor (RP) and turn on the slide switch (S1). TheLED (D1) is off, but if you wait a long time then it will eventually lightup. Uncover the photoresistor and the LED will light up in just a fewseconds. Push the press switch (S2) and reset the circuit.

The resistance of the photoresistor controls how long it takes to chargeup the 470mF capacitor (C5). Once the capacitor is charged, currentcan flow into the NPN transistor (Q2) and turn on the LED. Pushing thepress switch discharges the capacitor.


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Page 34 for Project #59

Page 35 for Project #61


CM-125 Block LayoutImportant: If any parts are missing or damaged, DO NOT RETURN TO RETAILER.Call toll-free (800) 533-2441 or e-mail us at: [email protected]. Customer Service ● 150 Carpenter Ave.Wheeling, IL 60090 U.S.A. Note: A complete parts list is on page 2 in this manual.


Copyright © 2014 by Elenco Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. … · 2019. 3. 2. · project...

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Transcript of Copyright © 2014 by Elenco Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. … · 2019. 3. 2. · project...