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Thames & Kosmos Electronics Experiment Manual

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E X PE R I M E NT M A N UA L
WARNING
— Science Education Set. This set contains chemicals
and/or parts that may be harmful if misused. Read cautions on individual
containers and in manual carefully. Not to be used by children except
under adult supervision.

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Summary of Contents for Thames & Kosmos Electronics

  • Page 1 E X PE R I M E NT M A N UA L WARNING — Science Education Set. This set contains chemicals and/or parts that may be harmful if misused. Read cautions on individual containers and in manual carefully. Not to be used by children except under adult supervision.
  • Page 2 EQUIPMENT What’s in your experiment kit: Checklist: Find – Inspect – Check off ✔ Description Qty. Item No. Electronics board 774090 Contact clips (17 pieces) 000642 Electronic components 774100 – Resistor, 470 Ohm – Resistor, 3.3 Kiloohm – Resistor, 22 Kiloohm –...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS Conductance Flashers Pages 34 to 41 Pages 16 to 21 On — Off — On — Off. Can water conduct electricity? That’s how it works! Sensors and Detectors Pages 42 to 48 Alarm Systems Sensitive detectors and Pages 22 to 27 exciting experiments.
  • Page 4 This experiment kit will of age. Instructions for parents or other supervising adults introduce your children to the must be followed. world of electronics with the Save the packaging, as it contains important information! help of lots of fun and exciting experiments.
  • Page 5 IMPORTANT INFORMATION Used Batteries What should you do with dead batteries? Do not under any circumstances simply throw them into the trash! For the sake of the environment, you should always take them to a collection location for used battery disposal. Some stores that sell batteries will also accept used batteries for proper disposal.
  • Page 6 In electronics, you usually work with a base plate, sometimes called a breadboard or simply “board.” The electronics board in your kit will serve this purpose. It contains openings for the contact clips and for forming the circuit assembly.
  • Page 7 Schematic Symbol Resistors 3.3 kΩ 3.3 k In electronics, it’s a common problem that effect. You can tell how large a resistor is there might be too much current flowing by looking at the little colored rings — which can be dangerous for certain printed on the component.
  • Page 8 Component Illustration Pictorial Representation Schematic Symbol Transistor Module Transistors are used for switching and terminal), meaning no current flows, with amplifying electrical currents and the gate at the collector (C) staying shut voltages. Each of the two transistor and blocking the path of the water to the modules in your kit has three terminals: emitter (E).
  • Page 9 EQUIPMENT Component Illustration Pictorial Representation Schematic Symbol LED2 Light-emitting LED1 diodes Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs for short, are small, sensitive components used to 10 F signal a switch state. For example, an LED will let you see whether a piece of equipment is switched on or whether an alarm has been triggered.
  • Page 10 Component Illustration Pictorial Representation Schematic Symbol Pushbutton (tactile switch) The pushbutton is a kind of current switch, circuit just briefly, releasing a kind of “signal” in the process. serving to open or close a circuit. A regular switch will open or close a current flow This signal is understood by the circuit as a kind of order, such as “Set the alarm!”...
  • Page 11 Pictorial Representation Schematic Symbol Battery clip – – Without electricity, electronics cannot function at all. The electricity for your – experiments will be supplied by a 9-volt (9 V) square battery, which is not included in the kit. You will have to get one.
  • Page 12 Mounting the contact clips In order to assemble an alarm system or a lie detector, you will have to be able to connect the individual components to one another. That is what the contact clips are for. These are small, highly conductive metal parts with holes in the top.
  • Page 13 EXPERIMENT PREPARATIONS Preparing the wire pieces leaving bare wire ends behind. The two Take a careful look at the short and long wire pieces. You can see that the wire is bare wire end sections should be equally long, as shown in the picture below. Then, surrounded by a thin layer of plastic, know you will still have to bend the wire pieces as “insulation.”...
  • Page 14 Getting everything ready At the beginning of each experiment, you will find an overview of all the components that you will need. So start by looking for all the parts and placing them in the parts compartment. The right polarity is important! Always install the capacitors the right way around! The assembly drawing shows exactly how.
  • Page 15 TIPS AND TRICKS Pay attention to the wire colors The current always has to flow in the right direction. It can only do that if you attach the battery terminal wires correctly. The positive wire coming from the battery clip is red, while the negative wire is black. The same colors are used in the assembly drawing as well.
  • Page 16 The circuit diagram LED 1 In order to understand how a circuit works, you need a circuit diagram. It uses symbols to represent the individual components and shows how they are 220 k connected to one another. You can check the meanings of the –...
  • Page 17 TIPS AND TRICKS The circuit board illustration If you have a complicated circuit assembly, a schematic circuit diagram can be quite difficult for a layperson to understand. That is why, in some of the experiments, we also illustrate the board as viewed straight down from above.

  • Page 18: Conductance

    Conductance Would you like to know which things are good conductors of electricity and which are not? Then assemble your humidity detector and start by testing the conductance of water.
  • Page 19 + 2 long wire 22 KΩ connectors 100 KΩ 3.3 KΩ + 2 LEDs + 2 transistor modules + electronics board + battery clip + and additional household items: 9-volt square battery, glass of water HERE’S HOW 1. Assemble the circuit following the circuit diagram.
  • Page 20 EXPERIMENT 2 Rain sensor YOU WILL NEED + your humidity detector + and additional household items: blotting paper, tape, scissors HERE’S HOW 1. Cut a piece of blotting paper about 5 x 10 cm in size and tape it to the outside sill of a window in your room.
  • Page 21 Conductance EXPERIMENT 3 Conductivity tester YOU WILL NEED + your humidity detector + and additional household items such as a key, eraser, coin, pencil, toys HERE’S HOW 1. Get the items ready that you will want to test. 2. Hold the two bare ends of the long wires of your humidity detector up to the key, eraser, coin, etc.
  • Page 22 EXPERIMENT 4 Lie detector YOU WILL NEED + your humidity detector + and additional household items: adhesive bandage, test subject :) HERE’S HOW 1. Find a test subject and use the bandage to tape the two loose wire ends to the palm of his or her hand. Carefully position the wires so their ends are close to each other but do not touch.
  • Page 23 Conductance CHECK IT OUT Moisture → Almost every car has an electronic sensor moisture sensor, which serves to detect in the car whether there is enough water in the windshield wiper system. If the water level drops far enough to leave the moisture sensor “hanging in the air,”...

  • Page 24: Alarm Systems

    Alarm Systems Did someone steal your favorite candy bar again? Try building a simple alarm system that you can use to secure your door or window. That way, you will be able to see if someone has been in your room while you were away.
  • Page 25 100 kΩ + 2 transistor modules + 1 pushbutton + 6 short wire bridges + 1 long wire connector + electronics board + battery clip + and additional household item: 9-volt square battery HERE’S HOW 1. Assemble your alarm system.
  • Page 26 EXPERIMENT 6 Clever alarm system YOU WILL NEED + your alarm system from 10 µF 470 Ω Experiment 5 220 kΩ LED2 LED1 – 3.3 kΩ 470 Ω 22 kΩ HERE’S HOW 100 kΩ Insert the long wire into the alarm circuit again.
  • Page 27 Alarm Systems EXPERIMENT 7 Securing the room door YOU WILL NEED + your alarm system from Experiment 5 + 1 long wire connector + and additional house- hold items: 9-volt square battery, aluminum foil (2 x 5 cm), cardboard (2 x 7 cm), tape, glue, scissors HERE’S HOW 1.
  • Page 28 EXPERIMENT 8 Flip-flop circuit YOU WILL NEED + your alarm system from Experiment 5 10 µF 470 Ω 220 kΩ LED2 LED1 – 10 µF 3.3 kΩ 470 Ω 22 kΩ HERE’S HOW 100 kΩ 1. Pull the long wire out of contact clip A.

  • Page 29: How Alarm Systems Work

    Alarm Systems CHECK IT OUT Access control There are also other methods, though, to deny access to unwanted persons. This kind of system only lets people into a building if they know the right key combination. Well protected → Today, electronic alarm systems protect many valuable objects, such as cars, and buildings, such as banks and apartments.

  • Page 30: Timer Switches

    Timer switches Timer switches can open or close circuits in a delayed manner. What role does an electrolytic capacitor play in this? Perform the experiments in this chapter to find out.
  • Page 31 C1 10 µF + 2 transistor modules + 1 pushbutton + 5 short wire bridges + 1 long wire bridge + electronics board + battery clip + and additional household item: 9-volt square battery HERE’S HOW 1. Assemble your timer switch and connect the battery.
  • Page 32 EXPERIMENT 10 Lengthening the cycle time YOU WILL NEED + your timer from 3.3 kΩ Experiment 9 LED1 LED2 + capacitor 100 µF – 470 Ω 220 kΩ 470 Ω 100 kΩ 22 kΩ C1 100 µF HERE’S HOW 1. Replace the 10-µF capacitor in your timer switch with the 100-µF one.
  • Page 33 Timer Switches EXPERIMENT 11 Hands as resistors YOU WILL NEED + your timer from Experiment 9 3.3 kΩ + 2 long wire connectors LED1 LED2 + 1 capacitor 10 µF – 470 Ω 470 Ω 100 kΩ 22 kΩ C1 10 µF HERE’S HOW 1.
  • Page 34 What a timer switch is used for Timer switches are extremely useful circuits for making life a little more comfortable. Here are a few examples to show you the kinds of things they can do: → The inside light of a car should only go out after a certain delay, so you can easily insert your key into the ignition even when it’s dark out.
  • Page 35 Timer Switches CHECK IT OUT THE RESISTOR COLOR CODE Rather than having their resistor values printed on them in numbers, these tiny components use colored rings. That means that they are easy to read regardless of their orientation. Depending on their position, the individual rings designate the first or second digit of the number value along with the number of zeros that follow.
  • Page 36 How does a flasher work? What role do resistors play? How can you assemble a flashing alarm system? All these exciting questions will be answered in this chapter!

  • Page 37: Flashers

    470 Ω 22 kΩ + 2 transistor modules + 4 short wire bridges C1 100 µF + 2 long wire bridges + electronics board + battery clip + and additional household item: 9-volt square battery HERE’S HOW 1. Assemble your circuit.
  • Page 38 EXPERIMENT 13 Changing the flashing speed YOU WILL NEED + your flasher circuit from Experiment 12 LED2 + 1 resistor, 3.3 kΩ LED1 22 kΩ – R3 470 Ω C2 10 µF 470 Ω 3.3 kΩ C1 100 µF HERE’S HOW 1.
  • Page 39 Flashers EXPERIMENT 14 Brief blinking YOU WILL NEED + your flasher circuit from Experiment 12 + 1 resistor, 100 kΩ LED2 LED1 220 kΩ – R3 470 Ω C2 10 µF 470 Ω 100 kΩ C1 100 µF HERE’S HOW 1.
  • Page 40 EXPERIMENT 15 Other flash patterns YOU WILL NEED + your flasher circuit from Experiment 14 LED2 + and additional household LED1 220 kΩ – items: paper, pencil C2 10 µF R3 470 Ω 470 Ω 100 kΩ C1 10 µF HERE’S HOW 1.
  • Page 41 Flashers EXPERIMENT 16 Hands as “flash regulators” YOU WILL NEED + your flasher circuit from 3.3 kΩ Experiment 14 LED2 + 2 long wire connectors LED1 220 kΩ – + 1 resistor, 3.3 kΩ C2 10 µF R3 470 Ω 470 Ω...
  • Page 42 EXPERIMENT 17 Flashing alarm system YOU WILL NEED + your flasher circuit from Experiment 14 LED2 + 1 short wire bridge LED1 220 kΩ – C2 10 µF R3 470 Ω 470 Ω 100 kΩ C1 100 µF HERE’S HOW 1.
  • Page 43 Flashers CHECK IT OUT What’s that flashing? → Can you imagine how a flasher circuit might be used? Think of circuits that switch a light on and off at regular intervals. For example, a blinking light at a pedestrian crosswalk, or at a railroad crossing, or in a shop window display… And of course, any motor vehicle has a blinker too.

  • Page 44: Sensors And Detectors

    Sensors & Detectors Dimly glimmering LEDs, electronic wizardry and heat sources — now, aren’t you curious to find out about all these things? So let’s get started right away with the experiments in this chapter! ((Kind abbilden???))
  • Page 45 + 1 Transistor module + 1 short wire bridge – 220 kΩ 470 Ω 470 Ω + electronics board + battery clip R2 22 kΩ + and additional household item: 9-volt square battery HERE’S HOW 1. Assemble your battery tester.
  • Page 46 LED1 + 2 transistor modules – + 2 short wire bridges 470 Ω + 1 long wire connector + electronics board + battery clip + and additional household item: 9-volt square battery HERE’S HOW 1. Assemble the components as shown in the circuit diagram. At terminal B, insert a long wire vertically, like an antenna.
  • Page 47 Sensors & Detectors EXPERIMENT 20 Electronic “magic” YOU WILL NEED + your electronic sensor from Experiment 19 + as well as: a few friends HERE’S HOW 1. Remove the “antenna.” Now it’s time to invite a few friends to an electronic magic show.
  • Page 48 + 1 resistor, 3.3 kΩ + 1 red LED + 2 transistor modules + 3 short wire bridges – 470 Ω + battery clip + electronics board + and additional household items: 9-volt 3.3 kΩ LED1 square battery, hair dryer, cube of ice HERE’S HOW...
  • Page 49 … AND SENSORS Electronics can perceive changes in the environment as well — particularly through sensors, also known as detectors. There are detectors for gas, temperature, humidity, sound, light, and a lot of other things.
  • Page 50 QUIZ TIME Do you know what a Which side of an LED flip-flop is? housing is flat? A The anode side A A type of fully automatic B The cathode side electronic switch that is very often used in C The electrode side electronic devices.
  • Page 51 Ruediger Rau (wire roll) (all previous © fotolia.com); Petrovich9 (background – © istockphoto.com); Oliver Klasen, Stuttgart (boy laughing); Friedrich Werth, werthdesign, Horb (electronics board rendering). The publisher has made every effort to identify the owners of the rights to all photos used. If there is any instance in which the owners of the rights to any pictures have not been acknowledged, they are asked to inform the publisher about their copyright ownership so that they may receive the customary image fee.