Electricity
Electric Circuit with an LED light
I was provided with the schematic shown on the left: Circuit Diagram-LED Flasher along with two other worksheets about electricity and the different components involved. Using these handouts my classmates and I were each tasked with creating an electric circuit that would be wired to a flashing LED light.
Having minimal knowledge on and no previous experiences with electricity, this project was a great way to push me a bit outside of my comfort zone. Honestly, I had no idea where to begin.
My professor recommended beginning with the 555 timer. So I placed it in the center of the circuit board, so that it could sit on both vertical halves of the board. That made sense, as did the numbers 1-8 as labeled on the diagram. Next I matched up 2 and 6 with a green wire (and later on matched the 4 and 8 with another green wire.) I placed a power wire next to 4 and connected it to the left side of the board. I took a ground wire and placed it next to 1 and connected it to the left side of the board. I added the power and ground wires to connect the left and right sides of the circuitboard at the bottom.
Then I put in the three resistors. I inserted the diode and the transistor. Finally, I connected the ground and power wires to the circuit board and to the battery, and there it was- a flashing red LED light. Now, I won't let you think it was as easy as I made it sound. Creating this electric circuit really put my brain into panic mode. Even with the handouts, taking that information and applying it to a real life scenario was hard for me. That's why I think this project is less about learning how to do it before you try, and more about experiential learning. Now that I've done it once and seen all of the pieces together, I have a better understanding of the role of each component. One really has to take each piece and understand it's capabilities, but sometimes that can't be understood until after it's done.
If I had to re-create this exact electric circuit given the same schematic, I'd probably know how to do it based on memory. However, if I were given a new schematic, at the least I'd be able to comprehend the purpose of majority of the components. For me, the schematics barely made sense. I relied on the information passes along by my classmates. Once one person figured out what went where and why, we began to help each other. Engaging in discussion and in a process that involved trial and error is what was necessary for me to figure out how to power my circuit board and get that light flashing.
Additionally, after completing my circuit I attempted to aid a few of my classmates. However, even though I was successful with mine, that didn't mean I automatically knew about every aspect of the circuit and that I would successfully help them. In fact, all of them got their lights to go on, but they weren't flashing. So not only did I learn what does work, but I also found out what doesn't work. It's not always about being right, but having the motivation and patience to experience both the learning and creative processes.