These mild up paper circuit playing cards had been a lot simpler to make than I anticipated and solely want just a few cheap supplies.
They’re an effective way to find out about circuits and electrical energy. You may make a easy, primary circuit or a extra sophisticated collection or parallel circuit. I’ve created a free template to make the exercise as simple as doable.
Electrical present is the circulate of cost round a circuit, it will probably solely circulate if the circuit is full. Because of this if there is a hole within the circuit the LED will not mild up.
A battery acts like a pump, pushing the electrical cost across the circuit.
Paper Circuit Playing cards
You will want
- A4 card
- Button battery – 3V CR2032 works effectively
- Copper tape – adhesive again tape is best to make use of
- Scissors
- LEDs
- Tape
Use my free card templates or draw your individual!
Grownup supervision is required with this exercise.
Paper Circuit Card Templates
Directions
Both print out considered one of my templates or draw an image on the surface of a folded piece of A4 card you could insert a colored LED into.
LEDs and Batteries
Take a look at the LED, the lengthy leg is postitive + and the brief leg is detrimental -.
The highest of the battery is constructive and the underside is detrimental.
Plan your circuit
A easy circuit has one battery, one LED and an entire sq. made with copper tape.
We left a spot within the circuit that’s solely closed wheh the cardboard is closed. This implies the LEDs mild up solely when the cardboard is closed and the circuit is full.
When making the cicruit the copper tape hooked up to the lengthy leg of the LED ought to lead into the constructive facet of the battery.
What’s my LED would not mild up?
Test the circuit, attempt flipping the battery or the LED.
Press down on the copper tape to ensure there are not any looose connnections.
Make certain the copper tape is not touching itself by the LED legs or the battery as this may trigger a brief circuit.
As soon as you have mastered a primary circuit, attempt a parallel circuit with 2 LEDs.
When you loved the exercise, remember to take a look at my different simple electrical energy tasks.
Final Up to date on December 22, 2025 by Emma Vanstone
