Beginner Electronics - 8 - First Circuit!

Summary

In this electronics tutorial, the host, Codmore, guides viewers through creating a basic LED circuit using a 9V battery, an LED, and a resistor. He explains how to calculate the necessary resistor value based on the battery and LED specifications, and suggests using a 1,000 Ohm resistor if unsure. The video demonstrates connecting the LED to the battery with the resistor in series, ensuring the LED lights up. The host also hints at future episodes covering more efficient prototyping methods beyond wire clipping.

Takeaways

• 🔋 Start by gathering the necessary components: a battery, an LED, and a resistor.
• 🔢 Use a 9V battery, but a double A battery is also acceptable as long as you know its voltage.
• 💡 The LED's longer leg should be connected to the battery's positive terminal, and the shorter leg to the negative.
• ⚙️ Calculate the appropriate resistor value based on the battery voltage and LED specifications, or use a 1,000 Ohm resistor as a safe default.
• 🔧 If you don't have a metal clip, you can hold the components together by hand.
• 🔬 The tutorial demonstrates connecting the LED and resistor to a 9V battery to light up the LED.
• 🛠️ Ensure the resistor is connected to the longer lead of the LED, which is connected to the positive voltage.
• 📏 A 270 Ohm resistor is used in the tutorial, which is a close approximation to the calculated 240 Ohm value.
• 💡 The successful lighting of the LED signifies the completion of the first circuit.
• 🔩 The tutorial hints at future episodes discussing more efficient prototyping methods beyond wire clipping.

Q & A

What is the main topic of this electronics tutorial?

The main topic of this electronics tutorial is creating a basic circuit that lights up an LED using a battery and a resistor.

What type of battery does Codmore recommend for this circuit?

Codmore recommends using a 9V battery for this circuit, but he also mentions that a double A battery can be used as long as you know its voltage.

How can you determine the appropriate resistor value for the circuit?

You can determine the appropriate resistor value by calculating it based on the battery voltage and the LED's specifications, as explained in the previous video.

What is a safe default resistor value if you can't calculate the exact one?

If you can't calculate the exact resistor value, using a 1,000 Ohm resistor is suggested as a safe default.

Why is it important to know the voltage of your LED?

Knowing the voltage of your LED is important to calculate the correct resistor value to prevent damaging the LED by providing too much current.

What is the significance of the longer leg of the LED?

The longer leg of the LED is the positive lead and must be connected to the positive terminal of the battery.

Can you attach the resistor to either the positive or negative lead of the LED?

Yes, you can attach the resistor to either the positive or negative lead of the LED, but it must be connected to the positive voltage source.

What is the purpose of using a metal clip in this tutorial?

The metal clip is used to make a temporary connection between the resistor and the battery, completing the circuit and lighting up the LED.

What is the next step after creating this basic circuit?

The next step is to learn about easier ways of prototyping circuits that do not involve clipping wires together, which will be discussed in the next tutorial.

Why is it suggested to use a higher resistor value than calculated if you don't have the exact value?

Using a higher resistor value than calculated is suggested to ensure the LED is not subjected to too much current, which could damage it, even if it's not the most efficient or bright.

Outlines

00:00

🔌 Introduction to Building a Basic Circuit

In this segment, the host, Codmore, welcomes viewers to the eighth episode of an electronics tutorial series. The focus of this episode is on constructing the audience's first-ever circuit. To participate, viewers are instructed to gather essential components: a battery (the host uses a 9V battery but suggests a double A battery as an alternative), an LED, and a resistor with an appropriate resistance value. The host references a previous video that teaches how to calculate the necessary resistor value based on the battery and LED specifications. If viewers are unable to perform this calculation, a 1,000 Ohm resistor is recommended as a safe default. The host also mentions the use of a metal clip for convenience, although it's not mandatory. The assembly begins with connecting the LED's longer leg to the battery's positive terminal and the shorter leg to the negative terminal, with the resistor attached to the LED's longer lead. The clip is used to complete the circuit, resulting in the LED lighting up, thus creating a simple but functional circuit.

Keywords

💡battery

A battery is a device that stores electrical energy and provides a continuous supply of electrical power. In the context of the video, the battery is the power source for the circuit being created. The script mentions using a 9V battery, but also suggests that a double A battery could be used. The voltage of the battery is crucial for determining the appropriate resistor value needed to prevent damaging the LED.

💡LED

An LED, or Light Emitting Diode, is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. In the video, the LED is the component that lights up when the circuit is complete. The script emphasizes the importance of connecting the longer leg of the LED to the positive terminal of the battery and the shorter leg to the negative terminal.

💡resistor

A resistor is an electronic component that opposes or limits the flow of electrical current in a circuit. In the video, the resistor is used to regulate the current flowing through the LED to prevent it from drawing too much power and getting damaged. The script discusses calculating the correct resistance value based on the battery voltage and the LED's specifications.

💡voltage

Voltage is the electric potential difference between two points in an electric circuit. It is a measure of the energy per unit charge. In the script, voltage is mentioned in relation to the battery and is used to calculate the appropriate resistor value. The video specifies using a 9V battery as an example.

💡ohm

The ohm is the unit of electrical resistance. It quantifies the degree to which an electrical component opposes the flow of electric current. In the video, the term 'ohms' is used to describe the resistance value of a resistor. The script suggests using a 1,000 ohm resistor as a safe default if the exact value is unknown.

💡circuit

A circuit is a closed loop through which electric current flows. In the video, the circuit is the main focus and consists of a battery, an LED, and a resistor. The script provides a step-by-step guide on how to create this simple circuit, which is the viewer's first hands-on experience with electronics.

💡calculation

In the context of the video, calculation refers to the process of determining the correct resistor value needed for the circuit. This is done by using the known voltage of the battery and the characteristics of the LED, as explained in a previous video. The calculation is crucial for ensuring the LED operates correctly and safely.

💡metal clip

A metal clip is a tool used to hold wires or components together in a circuit, creating a temporary connection. In the script, the metal clip is suggested as a way to connect the resistor to the LED and the battery, although it is noted that holding the connections by hand is also an option if a clip is not available.

💡prototyping

Prototyping in electronics refers to the process of creating a preliminary model of a circuit or device to test its functionality before committing to a final design. The video script mentions that while clipping wires together can be done for simple circuits, it is not practical for larger projects. Therefore, the concept of prototyping is introduced as a way to build and test circuits more efficiently.

💡tutorial

A tutorial is a set of instructions or an educational program that provides guidance on a particular subject. In the video, the term 'tutorial' refers to the educational content being provided by the host, codmore, who is teaching viewers how to create their first electronic circuit. The script indicates that this is episode 8, suggesting a series of tutorials on electronics.

Highlights

Introduction to creating the first electronic circuit

Requirement of a battery for the circuit, with a 9V battery used as an example

Flexibility in using different voltage batteries as long as their voltage is known

Need for an LED and a resistor with a specific resistance value

Tutorial on calculating the resistor value based on battery and LED specifications

Using a 1000 Ohm resistor as a safe default if exact calculations are not possible

Using a 270 Ohm resistor as a substitute for the calculated 240 Ohm resistor

The importance of connecting the longer leg of the LED to the positive terminal of the battery

Connecting the resistor to the LED's longer lead for connection to the positive voltage

Using a metal clip for a secure connection between components

Identifying the positive and negative terminals on the battery

Completing the circuit by connecting the LED's shorter lead to the battery's negative terminal

Observing the LED light up as a result of the completed circuit

Recommendation to use a 1000 Ohm resistor for beginners

Introduction to the simplicity of the first circuit consisting of a resistor, LED, and battery

Discussion on the limitations of using clips for larger projects and the need for better prototyping methods

Anticipation of future tutorials on easier prototyping tools and methods

Conclusion and thanks for watching, with a teaser for the next tutorial

Transcripts

what's going on everyone my name is

codmore and welcome back to electronics

episode 8 in this episode we are going

to finally create our very first circuit

now you're going to need a few things to

follow along with this tutorial and do

it yourself first things first you are

going to need a battery I'm going to be

using a 9vt battery but you don't have

to you can use a double A battery just

as long as you know the voltage of it

and usually the battery will tell you

what voltage it is right on the side of

the packaging next you're also going to

need an LED and you're also going to

need a res resistor with a proper

resistance value for your circuit now we

learned in the last video how to

calculate what value of resistor you

would need according to the battery that

you are using and according to your LED

so if you haven't done so already get a

battery and note the voltage of it then

grab your LED and go to the previous

video and do the calculation to see what

value of resistor you're going to need

if for some reason you aren't able to do

the calculation because you don't know

who made your LED or you don't know the

proper voltage of your LED just use a

1,000 Ohm resistor or some resistor

around 1,000 ohms and that should be

plenty to keep your LED safe in my case

the calculation for a 9volt battery in

my specific LED means I have to have a

240 Ohm resistor but I only have a 270

Ohm resistor so that is what I'm going

to be using and that is okay because it

is above 240 ohms and finally you might

also want to have a metal clip if you

have one if you don't that's fine you

can just hold it together with your

hands all right now let's get started

first things first remember that the

longer leg of your LED which is this one

for me has to go to the positive

terminal of your battery and the shorter

leg which is this one for me must go to

the negative terminal of your battery

just remember that now you can attach

your resistor to your LED on either the

positive or the negative lead or rather

the longer or the shorter lead it

doesn't matter which side it goes on I'm

just going to put mine on the longer

lead where it should go to the positive

voltage of my battery so I'm going to

line them up right here on the lead and

because I have a clip I'm just going to

clip them together like so so now the

resistor is connected to the longer lead

of my LED next get out your battery here

and try to note which one is the

positive terminal and which one is the

negative terminal for me as you can see

this little plus sign over there this

terminal is the positive terminal of my

battery and this terminal over here is

the negative terminal of my battery so

that means I attached the resistance

to the longer leg of my LED which means

the resistor must touch the positive

terminal of my battery and then if we

Bend everything around a little bit you

can touch the other lead of the LED

right to the negative terminal and as

you can see the LED will light up that

is it that is your very first circuit

that you just created you lit up an LED

that is awesome remember if you're not

sure what type of resistance you're

going to need just use a th000 ohm

resistor or somewhere around there and

that should be plenty for your LED

but either way we created our very first

circuit and it was really simple right

just a resistor an LED and a battery now

it wasn't as simple as it could be

though I mean if we had to build huge

projects using just little clips and

clipping wires together everything would

be terrible I mean this is just hard to

do so we are going to need to find out a

new way of prototyping stuff that's

easier than clipping wires together and

we'll talk about how to do that and a

couple of more tools in the next Tut

tutorial thanks for watching everyone

and I'll see you guys in the next video