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7
About Your Snap Circuits
®
LIGHT Parts
RESISTORS LEDs
Adjustable Resistor (RV)
Resistors (R1, R3, & R5)
SLIDE & PRESS SWITCHES
The speaker (SP) converts
electricity into sound by
making mechanical vib-
rations. These vibrations
create variations in air
pressure, which travel
across the room. You
“hear” sound when
your ears feel these
air pressure variations.
SPEAKER
Speaker (SP)
The adjustable resistor (RV) is a 50kW resistor
but with a center tap that can be adjusted
between 200W and 50kW.
Resistors “resist” the ow of electricity and are
used to control or limit the current in a circuit.
Snap Circuits
®
LIGHT includes 100W (R1), 5.1kW
(R3), and 100kW (R5) resistors (“k” symbolizes
1,000, so R5 is really 100,000W). Materials like
metal have very low resistance (<1W), while
materials like paper, plastic, and air have near-
innite resistance. Increasing circuit resistance
reduces the ow of electricity.
The slide & press switches (S1 & S2) connect
(pressed or “ON”) or disconnect (not pressed or
“OFF”) the wires in a circuit. When ON they have
no effect on circuit performance. Switches turn on
electricity just like a faucet turns on water from a pipe.
Slide & Press
Switches
(S1 & S2)
LED’s
(D1, D6, & D8)
The red,white,andcolorLED’s(D1,D6,&
D8) are light emitting diodes, and may be
thought of as a special one-way light bulbs. In
the “forward” direction, (indicated by the “arrow”
in the symbol) electricity ows if the voltage
exceeds a turn-on threshold (about 1.5V for red,
about 3.0V for white, and in between for other
colors); brightness then increases. The color
LED contains red, green, and blue LEDs, with a
micro-circuit controlling then. A high current will
burn out an LED, so the current must be limited
by other components in the circuit. LED’s block
electricity in the “reverse” direction.
CAPACITOR
The 0.1mF and 100mF capacitors (C2 & C4) can
store electrical pressure (voltage) for periods of
time. This storage ability allows them to block
stable voltage signals and pass changing ones.
Capacitors are used for filtering and delay
circuits.
Capacitors
(C2 & C4)
Microphone (X1)
The microphone (X1) is actually a resistor that
changes in value when changes in air pressure
(sounds) apply pressure to its surface. Its
resistance typically varies between 1kW and
10kW.
MICROPHONE
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