How to Build a Basic Electronic Circuit

Building an extremely basic electronic circuit is as simple as connecting a battery to an electric motor or light. The main things to watch out for are power and clean wiring. Too much power will blow out the light or motor, and too little will not power it at all. Failing to get clean electronic connections will stop you from completing the circuit. Don't fret. The following steps will help you to build a basic electronic circuit.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Batteries
• Battery holder
• Copper wire
• SPST switch
• Motor
• Electric lamp
• Buzzer
• Christmas light
• Solder
• Soldering iron
• Jumper leads

1. Find and purchase a load. The simplest load to use in a basic electronic circuit are a buzzer, electric lamp and motor. Find a low-power component from an electronics store such as RadioShack.

2. Purchase a power supply and batteries. In this circuit, the power supply should be as close as possible to the voltage of the components without going over it. For example. if your buzzer is rated for 6.7 volts of current, a 6 volt battery holder should do fine. You can get a battery holder designed for A, C, D or 9 volt batteries. Any of these batteries will work.

3. Buy everything else you need. Purchase a small single-pull-single-throw (SPST) switch from an electronic supply store, and whatever you want to use to wire your supplies. Copper wire and solder will make a permanent circuit, whereas a set of jumper leads such as the one linked to below will allow you to change your circuit around, and to quickly and easily make clean connections without soldering.

4. Look at the terminals on your component. The battery pack, the switch and the load will have two terminals each. The two battery pack terminals will probably have a black and a red wire attached. Each terminal will be attached to one other terminal by copper wire or jumpers.

5. Attach one of the the battery terminals to the switch. You can do this by holding the exposed end of one of the wires to one of the switch terminals and soldering the connection. Alternately, you can make the connection by clipping one lead of a jumper onto the exposed end of the wire and the other onto one of the switch terminals.

6. Attach the other terminal of the switch to the load (the thing you are powering). Use either of the methods in step 5 to make the connection.

7. Finish wiring the circuit and put in the batteries. Connect the other terminal of the load to the free terminal of the battery holder. Put in the batteries and turn the switch on.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't want to spend money on a load, you can find a small motor in a broken toy or cut a single Christmas light out of a strand.
• You may want to use a low power soldering iron. Using a high power iron can damage sensitive equipment, such as your switch.
• Avoid using LEDs at first. They have designated positive and negative terminals, and if you get the two confused, the circuit will not work.

Resources

• Set of jumper leads for purchase on RadioShack website
• Video of how to solder wires and electronics