Design a LED Card

Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. A circuit is a complete circular path that electricity flows through. A simple circuit contains three components: a source of voltage, a conductive path and a resistor. There are three types of electric circuits:

  • Open Circuit - an electrical circuit that has a break in its connections, preventing current from flowing

  • Closed Circuit - an electrical circuit without interruption, providing a continuous path through which a current can flow.

  • Short Circuit - an electrical circuit that allows an electric current to travel along an unintended path with little to no electrical resistance.

There are two fundamental ways a circuit’s components can be connected - Series and Parallel.

  • Series Circuit - a circuit configuration where the components are connected in a single loop, one after another. The current only has one path to follow. If any one component breaks or is removed, then the current flow will stop.

  • Parallel Circuit - a circuit configuration where the components are connected in separate branches. The current has multiple paths to follow. If any one component breaks or is removed, then the current can still flow through the other branches.

Did you know?

  • Electricity was first discovered in 600BC

  • LED Lightbulbs use 80% less electricity compared to conventional lightbulbs

Design Challenge:

Become an artist and design a card for your family or friends by building a paper LED circuit.

  • Decorate the card! Use the LED as inspiration and the centerpiece of your art design.

  • In your circuit, what was the source of voltage, conductive path, and resistor?

  • Try creating another card with two LEDs. How did your design change?

Materials:

  • 1 - Card Stock Paper

  • 1 - Circuit Template

  • 1 - 3V Battery

  • 1 - Strip of Copper Tape

  • 1 - LED Light

  • Markers

  • Scissors

  • Scotch Tape

Build Instructions:

  1. Fold your Card Stock Paper in half to make a card.

  2. Using the Circuit Template, draw the circuit shown on the inside of the card. (See Figure 1)

  3. Using the copper tape, put the tape along the lines on the circuit that you just drew. (See Figure 2)

  4. Take the positive end of the battery (you will see a plus mark on one side of the battery) and stick some copper tape to it. Then stick the battery onto the circuit drawn on your card where it is labeled “Battery”. (See Figure 2)

  5. Next, add the led light. Connect the positive end of the LED (this is the longer leg) to the positive of the battery and the negative end of the LED (this is the shorter leg) to the negative of the battery. The template drawing has a marking on how the LED should be placed as well. (See Figure 3)

  6. Once you place the LED on the copper tape, put scotch tape on top to stick it in place. (See Figure 3)

  7. Fold along the dotted line on the bottom right corner and press on the battery - you will see the circuit light up.

  8. Once the circuit is complete, fold the card in half so that the circuit is on the inside. Using scissors, add a hole in the front of the card so that the LED can come through the front.

  9. Congratulations! Your card is now complete and ready to decorate!

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Build instructions provided by Instructables.

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