Manual

-9-
DOs and DON’Ts of Building Circuits
Placing a 3-snap wire directly
across the batteries is a
SHORT CIRCUIT.
This is also a
SHORT CIRCUIT.
When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this large circuit has a SHORT
CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows). The short circuit prevents any
other portions of the circuit from ever working.
!
!
NEVER
DO!
NEVER
DO!
NEVER
DO!
!
NEVER
DO!
!
You are encouraged to tell us about new programs and circuits you create.
If they are unique, we will post them with your name and state on our
website at: www.snapcircuits.net/learning_center/kids_creation.
Send your suggestions to ELENCO
®
: [e-mail].
ELENCO
®
provides a circuit designer so that you can make your own Snap
Circuits
®
drawings. This Microsoft
®
Word document can be downloaded
from: www.snapcircuits.net/learning_center/kids_creation or through
the www.snapcircuits.net website.
Warning to Snap Circuits
®
owners: Do not connect
additional voltage sources from other sets, or you may
damage your parts. Contact ELENCO
®
if you have questions
or need guidance.
!
Examples of SHORT CIRCUITS - NEVER DO THESE!!!
WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD - Never connect Snap Circuits
®
to the electrical outlets in your home in any way!
After building the circuits given in this booklet, you may wish to experiment on
your own. Use the projects in this booklet as a guide, as many important design
concepts are introduced throughout them. Every circuit will include a power
source (the batteries), a resistance (which might be a resistor, horn, LED (which
has an internal protection resistor), light tunnel, etc.), and wiring paths between
them and back. You must be careful not to create “short circuits” (very low-
resistance paths across the batteries, see examples below) as this will damage
components and/or quickly drain your batteries. Only connect the light tunnel
(U30) using configurations given in the projects, incorrectly doing so may damage
it. Elenco
®
is not responsible for parts damaged due to incorrect wiring.
Here are some important guidelines:
ALWAYS USE EYE PROTECTION WHEN EXPERIMENTING ON YOUR OWN.
ALWAYS include at least one component that will limit the current through a
circuit, such as a resistor, horn, an LED (which has an internal
protection resistor), light tunnel (which must be connected properly).
ALWAYS use switches in conjunction with other components that will limit
the current through them. Failure to do so will create a short circuit
and/or damage those parts.
ALWAYS disconnect your batteries immediately and check your wiring if
something appears to be getting hot.
ALWAYS check your wiring before turning on a circuit.
ALWAYS connect the light tunnel (U30) using configurations given in the
projects or as per the connection descriptions for the parts.
NEVER connect to an electrical outlet in your home in any way.
NEVER leave a circuit unattended when it is turned on.
For all of the projects given in this book, the parts may be arranged in different
ways without changing the circuit. For example, the order of parts connected
in series or in parallel does not matter — what matters is how combinations
of these sub-circuits are arranged together.
3D Construction: Motors or other parts that produce motion (which you may
have from other snap Circuits
®
sets) should not be mounted overhead or on
walls, as the vibrations they produce could cause them to fall.