PRACTICAL ELECTRONICSMASTERCLASS

(Mr Bell)(COMPUTERS REQUIRED FOR 1ST & 2nd PERIOD)

1

What makes a Circuit?• Circuits need to be complete

for them to work properly.

• This means that the wires must go in a full loop around from the power source and back again.

• The green arrows show the direction of the electricity. Going from the positive side of the battery, around the circuit and back to the negative side.

9V Battery

Filament lamp

Direction of electricity

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• Circuits that are not complete will not work because the electricity can not travel around them properly.

• None of these circuits are complete, so none of them will work.

• Can you see why?

• Every circuit has a power source to work. It can either be cells (batteries) or mains.

• Remember the mains electricity is MUCH more powerful than batteries (230Volts) and can be very dangerous. Do not mess around with electric mains!!

Batteries

Mains power supply

When using more than one battery

• If you are using more than one battery in a circuit, remember that they need to be connected so that they are all facing the same direction in the circuit.

• In other words positive to negative, not positive to positive or negative to negative.

What is YENKA?• Yenka is a suite of educational

software products which lets students simulate experiments, create mathematical models, learn computer programming.

• However we want to use it for its ability to design electronic circuits.

• Yenka was developed by a company called Crocodile Clips Ltd, which is an older software package used in schools when they first started teaching electronics.

• The package is FREE to download at home. • http://www.yenka.com/en/Free_student

_home_licences/

Getting started:• Click the windows button and

open the technical folder and click on Yenka.

• Once loaded select the basic circuits and click OK.

• Then select the NEW tab.

• Click the objects tab, to display your basic circuits toolbar.

WorkspaceComponents – have a look through the folders and familiarize yourself with what is available

Edit toolbar – to make changes to your work

Save button – remember to save your work in to your own Yenka folder.

Full screen mode

Full screen mode

Delete objects

Basic Circuits folders

Exercise 1 – Light circuit• Drag the following

components on to the workspace.

• Try to line up the components so that the terminals are in line with each other.

• Select the ends of the terminals of the components and drag the line to the next component, this is your wire.

• Once complete switch on your first circuit.

Exercise 2 – Presentation tools

• Now that you have made your first circuit, we now what to add some information about.

• This will make it look more like a proper circuit diagram.• Select the Presentation folder from the Basic Circuits toolbar.

• Select the text command and drag it on to your workspace.

• Type in the title ‘Circuit 1’, your name and class.• Edit the text however you wish by selecting text editing

commands.

• Save the Calderglen badge off the internet into your folder.• Select the picture icon and place the logo in the centre of

your circuit.• This would be your company logo for marketing purposes.

• Now we are going add component information in, so that someone can read this diagram and now what to buy to make it.

• Select the number icon and drag it on to the workspace.

• Click the target symbol and drag a line to the component

• Select property and select voltage from the drop down menu.

• Then drag the label under the battery, so we know what component it describes.

• Now add labels to the switch (voltage) and the Light (Current)• Notice that when you switch on the circuit the values adapt

• You can also add a tray to your workspace of common components you are using, for quickness.

• Furthermore you can also add animation if you wish.

Circuit 1 Complete – Save work

• Now save your work as ‘Circuit 1’ in your Yenka folder.