Fairy LED Bracelet
Understanding the Circuit
This project is an example of a basic circuit – an electrical loop that travels from a power source along a path (called a trace) to a component (or components) that uses the electricity to function and then back to the power source. For our project, we’ll use an LED (Light-Emitting Diode). When this loop is completed by connecting the battery to the LED leads, electricity from the power source is able to flow from the positive (+) side of the battery through to the LED (lighting it up) and back to the negative (–) side of the battery. This electric flow is called current.
LEDs, like many electronic components have polarity, meaning electric current can only flow through them in one direction. That means that it matters which LED lead is connected to the positive ( + ) side of the battery and which is connected to the negative ( - ) side. If hooked up incorrectly, they will not light up. The batteries are also polarized; they have a positive and negative side. Always check the to make sure your LED leads are correctly oriented before soldering together a circuit. You can test this by simply trying one side and then the other or by using a multimeter.