-7-
DOs and DON’Ts of Building Circuits
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 connected properly), motor, phototransistor, or resistor.
ALWAYS
use the LED and switches in conjunction with other
components that will limit the current through them. Failure
to do so will create a short circuit and/or damage those
parts.
ALWAYS
disconnect your batteries immediately and check your
wiring if something appears to be getting hot.
ALWAYS
check your wiring before turning on a circuit.
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.
Placing a 3-snap wire directly
across the batteries is a
SHORT CIRCUIT.
This is also a
SHORT CIRCUIT.
When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this large circuit has a SHORT
CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows). The short circuit prevents any
other portions of the circuit from ever working.
!
!
!
NEVER
DO!
NEVER
DO!
NEVER
DO!
NEVER
DO!
!
NEVER
DO!
!
You are encouraged to tell us about new programs and circuits you create.
If they are unique, we will post them with your name and state on our
website at:
www.snapcircuits.net/learning_center/kids_creation
Send your suggestions to ELENCO
®
:
.
ELENCO
®
provides a circuit designer so that you can make your own
Snap Circuits
®
drawings. This Microsoft
®
Word document can be
downloaded
from:
www.snapcircuits.net/learning_center/kids_creation
Warning to Snap Circuits
®
owners:
Do not connect
additional voltage sources from other sets, or you may
damage your parts. Contact ELENCO
®
if you have
questions or need guidance.
!
Examples of SHORT CIRCUITS -
NEVER DO THESE!!!
WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD
- Never connect Snap Circuits
®
to the electrical outlets in your home in any way!
After building the circuits given in this booklet, you may wish to experiment
on your own. Use the projects in this booklet as a guide, as many important
design concepts are introduced throughout them. Every circuit will include
a power source (the batteries), a resistance (which might be a resistor, lamp,
motor, integrated circuit, etc.), and wiring paths between them and back.
You
must be careful not to create “short circuits” (very low-resistance paths
across the batteries, see examples below) as this will damage components
and/or quickly drain your batteries.
Only connect the ICs using configurations
given in the projects, incorrectly doing so may damage them.
Elenco
®
is not
responsible for parts damaged due to incorrect wiring.
For all of the projects given in this book, the parts may be arranged in
different ways without changing the circuit. For example, the order of
parts connected in series or in parallel does not matter — what matters
is how combinations of these sub-circuits are arranged together.
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