READING: Makerspace Circuits
There are SO MANY different ways that you could make good use of a makerspace in your classroom to foster computational thinking. For this class, we are going to teach you one small aspect of making that will provide you with the skills and knowledge to create projects in the future that you might not now be capable of creating. We are going to learn about circuits!
There are 3 types of circuits that we are going to discuss: Simple circuits, Series circuits, and Parallel circuits. The first thing to understand when discussing circuits is a little bit about electricity. In all of the following diagrams, electricity flows AWAY from the positive and TOWARD negative charges.
Simple Circuits
In a simple circuit, energy flows directly from the power source to the item that uses that power. As with all circuits, you must "close the loop" to return the electricity back to the source and keep the power flowing.
Series Circuits
Series circuits are similar to simple circuits. Instead of one item that draws power, there are two or more in a row. You can tell if a circuit is in a series because the item that draws/uses the power will interrupt the flow. If that item breaks, no power gets past it. It's kind of like a door and if it gets shut, then the energy ceases to flow. In a series circuit, each item takes the power it needs and passes the "leftovers" along to the next item. Thus, the last light in a series may not get as much power as the first light.
Parallel Circuits
A parallel circuit also has multiple items that draw power. But instead of placing them one after another in a series, all positives and all negatives are connected to the main line of power. In this way, if one part of the circuit fails, the other parts continue to receive energy. In a parallel circuit, the energy is split evenly across each item that draws power. For example, in this picture each of the LEDs would receive 1/3 of the power from the 3V battery (up to 1V each).