Red Hat Co.Lab Light Sensing Kit Experiment Guide

Contributors: D___Run___, Member #803053

Before You Start

Before you start assembling your kit, there are some things you can do ahead of time to ensure your project will be a success. The information below will tell you how much time you can expect to spend on each part, what tools and materials you'll need, and what you can do before you start your project that will make it easier.

Recommended Age and Prerequisite Skills

This activity is best suited for ages 10-13. There are no specific skills required to complete the project, and no prior knowledge of circuits is assumed. Because some of the components are small and making connections requires a bit of dexterity, younger students may need adult assistance.

Time Requirements

Part One: Breadboarding and Light Sensing - 30 minutes

Part Two: Exploring Your Environment and Mapping Data - 45 minutes

Tools and Materials

1. The Red Hat Co.Lab Light Sensing kit. Make sure you keep the box it comes in. We’ll use it later.

   • Mini photocell
   • Transistor
   • Diode
   • 9V battery
   • 9V snap connector
   • Jumper wires
   • Breadboard
   • Hobby motor
2. Paper: for organizing and taking notes
3. Scissors: for modifying the case for your experiment (cutting cardboard and paper)
4. A bright location and a darker location (they can be in the same room)

Identify the Parts

It’s always helpful to know the parts you’ll be using before diving into the build. Go ahead and lay them out in front of you on a piece of paper. As you lay them out, pick them up and explore them. How many pins does a piece have? What colors are on it? Do you have a guess as to what it does based on how it looks or what it's called? You should write these observations down next to each part. It will help to organize the pieces and also your thoughts as we begin to explore and build.

And while you are laying out the parts for your project, it also helps to make sure that you have the other required materials that didn’t come with your kit (scissors). By this point we have:

1. Identified each part (and labeled it so it’s easier to find)
2. Counted each part to make sure that we have the correct number
3. Examined each part to make sure it's not obviously broken

Now that we have taken care of the setup, we can start to build and experiment!

Resources

Below, you’ll find in-depth explorations of parts in this kit.

• Circuits: the basics of how circuits work, as well as links to more in-depth information
• Transistors: what are they, and why do you need them?
• Breadboards: a deeper dive into the interior mechanics of the breadboard
• Photocell: explore how a photocell works and senses light