BEGINNER CIRCUIT PROJECTS

Copper Tape Projects

Exercise One: Simple Circuit

Background Knowledge:

How to draw a Schematic
Circuits

What you'll need:

1 - AA 1.5 Volt Battery

1 - Copper Tape

1 - Sheet of Paper

1 - Pen/Pencil/Marker

1 - Bulb from a Holiday Light Strand

1 - Masking Tape

Copper tape is a versatile material that can be used to create simple circuits for various electronics projects. It is a thin strip of copper with an adhesive backing that can be easily applied to any surface. Copper tape can be used in combination with other electronic components like light bulbs, batteries, and switches to create simple circuits without the need for soldering or other specialized tools.

Making simple circuits with copper tape is a great way to introduce beginners to electronics and circuitry. In this process, you will need to cut the copper tape to the desired length and shape, place it on a surface, and then attach other components to it, such as a light bulbs or battery. You can then test the circuit to make sure it is working properly and make any necessary adjustments. Making simple circuits with copper tape is a fun and accessible way to learn about the basics of electronics and circuitry, and it can be a great starting point for more complex projects in the future.

Steps

Step One:

Start with a sheet of paper that is large enough for your circuit.

Step Two:

Draw the simple circuit that you will be making using the schematic symbols to represent the components you will use in real life. These will be a power source (Battery,) a load (light bulb,) and conductive connectors (copper tape.) Try to draw your battery side wide enough where an actual AA battery will fit. About 2" wide.

Step Three:

Using the copper tape, trace your paths of your conductors on your schematic. Leave space and gaps for where the physical components will be placed. On the battery side, overlap your copper tape a little past the circuit- this will act as your battery holder.

Step Four:

Place your components. In a simple circuit, you only have three components: the power source, the conductive connectors, and the load. In this case the two components you still need to place are your light bulb and AA battery.

Step Five:

Secure your components in place. Make sure that the copper wire that is stripped from the ends of the light bulb make secure contact with the copper tape. For this simple circuit, you will only need to tape your light bulb because you will have to hold your AA battery in the next step.

Step Six:

With your components securely taped down and your battery in place, pinch the copper clad paper around the positive and negative ends of the battery. This should complete the simple circuit and the light bulb turn on. If needed, readjust the paper to wrap further around the battery terminals.

Questions:

What are the three components needed for a simple circuit?
Why is copper conductive?
What is the load in this circuit?

Exercise Two: Series Circuits

Background Knowledge:

How to draw a Schematic
How to read and use a Multimeter
Current Flow in a Series Circuit

What you'll need:

1 - AA 1.5 Volt Battery

1 - Copper Tape

1 - Sheet of Paper

1 - Pen/Pencil/Marker

6 - Bulb from a Holiday Light Strand

1- Masking Tape

A series circuit is a basic type of electrical circuit in which the current flows through each component in a single path. Building a series circuit using copper tape is a great way to learn about the basics of electricity and circuitry. It is a simple and accessible method that can be used to quickly study the properties of a series circuit. Using the same procedure as the Simple Circuit exercise above, use the copper tape, light bulbs, and battery to make a variety of series circuits.

Steps

Draw the schematic diagrams and label the components.

On a single sheet of paper, draw the schematic diagrams so that there is space for three on a single page. The final product should look like the image to the right.
The three circuits should add an additional bulb in series for each.
Using what we know about current, you should also label the schematic with the anticipated current flow direction.

Cover the schematic diagrams with the copper tape.

Be sure to leave space and gaps for where the physical components will be placed.

Place and Secure your components in place.

When placing the light bulbs be sure that the exposed wire of the light bulbs is making secure contact with the copper tape. Use masking tape to secure this connection.

Place and Connect the battery to each circuit one at a time.

Once all three are finished, use the single battery to power each circuit. As you do, watch to see any differences in the light bulb's intensity.

Questions:

How does sharing voltage in a series circuit affect the bulbs?
On the last circuit with three light bulbs, using intuition and the voltage drop formula, how much voltage is being used by each bulb?
A 100-light strand of Holiday lights plugs into the wall outlet which is 120V. How much voltage does each lightbulb use when the light strand bulbs are ran in series?

*Extra Experiments:

With the battery connected to the final circuit, disconnect one of the bulbs. What happens?
Reconnect all the light bulbs on the final circuit. Using an X-acto knife or scissor, cut a small gap in the copper tape between the battery and the first light. Using a multimeter, measure the current of this circuit. To do this, set your multimeter to read DC current and attach the probes to each side of the broken copper tape. Make sure your battery is connected- you may need another pair of hands for this.

Exercise Three: Parallel Circuits

Background Knowledge:

How to draw a Schematic
How to read and use a Multimeter
Current Flow in a Parallel Circuit

What you'll need:

1 - AA 1.5 Volt Battery

1 - Copper Tape

1 - Sheet of Paper

1 - Pen/Pencil/Marker

6 - Bulb from a Holiday Light Strand

1- Masking Tape

A parallel circuit is a basic type of electrical circuit in which the current flows through each component through multiple branches. Building a parallel circuit using copper tape is a great way to learn about the basics of electricity and circuitry. It is a simple and accessible method that can be used to quickly study the properties of a series circuit. Using the same procedure as the Simple Circuit exercise above, use the copper tape, light bulbs, and battery to make a variety of parallel circuits.

Steps

Draw the schematic diagrams and label the components.

On a single sheet of paper, draw the schematic diagrams so that there is space for three on a single page. The final product should look like the image to the right.
The three circuits should add an additional bulb in parallel for each.
Using what we know about current, you should also label the schematic with the anticipated current flow direction.

Cover the schematic diagrams with the copper tape.

Be sure to leave space and gaps for where the physical components will be placed.

Place and Secure your components in place.

When placing the light bulbs be sure that the exposed wire of the light bulbs is making secure contact with the copper tape. Use masking tape to secure this connection.

Place and Connect the battery to each circuit one at a time.

Once all three are finished, use the single battery to power each circuit. As you do, watch to see any differences in the light bulb's intensity.

Questions:

Does the intensity of light for each bulb change when you add another in parallel? Why?
Assuming the AA battery is 1.5V, how much voltage is being used by each light bulb while in parallel?

*Extra Experiments:

With the battery connected to the final circuit, disconnect one of the bulbs. What happens? Is it the same thing that happens as a parallel circuit? Why or why not?
Reconnect all the light bulbs on the final circuit. Using an X-acto knife or scissor, cut a small gap in the copper tape between the battery and the first light. Using a multimeter, measure the current of this circuit. To do this, set your multimeter to read DC current and attach the probes to each side of the broken copper tape. Make sure your battery is connected- you may need another pair of hands for this. Finally, ask yourself if this is the same current as the series circuit for the same three light bulbs. What would be the reason if they were different?

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