Manual Part 2

55
ABOUT YOUR SNAP CIRCUITS
®
PARTS
(Part designs are subject to change without notice).
BASE GRID BATTERY HOLDER
The base grids are platforms for mounting
parts and wires. They function like the printed
circuit boards used in most electronic products,
or like how the walls are used for mounting the
electrical wiring in your home. The base grids
can be placed together to form larger grids.
SNAP WIRES,VERTICAL SNAP WIRES,
& JUMPER WIRES
The batteries (B3) produce an electrical voltage
using a chemical reaction. This “voltage” can
be thought of as electrical pressure, pushing
electricity through a circuit just like a pump
pushes water through pipes. This voltage is much
lower and much safer than that used in your
house wiring. Using more batteries increases
the “pressure”, therefore, more electricity ows.
Battery Holder (B3)
Slide & Press
Switches
(S1 & S2)
SLIDE & PRESS SWITCHES
The slide & press switches (S1 & S2) connect
(pressed or “ON”) or disconnect (not pressed
or “OFF”) the wires in a circuit. When ON they
have no effect on circuit performance. Switches
turn on electricity just like a faucet turns on water
from a pipe.
The blue snap
wires are wires
used to connect
components.
They are used
to transport
electricity and do
not affect circuit
performance. They
come in different lengths to
allow orderly arrangement
of connections on the base
grid.
The vertical snap wires (V1) make connections
between two dimensions, allowing electricity to go
up a wall.
The jumper
wires (red,
black, & blue)
make flexible
connections
for times when
using the snap
wires would be
difficult. They
also are used to
make connections off the base grid.
Wires transport electricity just like pipes are used
to transport water. The colorful plastic coating
protects them and prevents electricity from
getting in or out.
RESISTORS
Resistors “resist” the ow of electricity and are
used to control or limit the current in a circuit.
This set includes a 5.1kΩ resistor (R3) (“k”
symbolizes 1,000, so R3 is really 5,100Ω).
Materials like metal have very low resistance (<1
Ω), while materials like paper, plastic, and air
have near-innite resistance. Increasing circuit
resistance reduces the ow of electricity.
5.1kΩ Resistor (R3)