5.3. Build a Simple Circuit With Me I

Back to: ELECTRONICS

Let’s create a simple circuit with an LED and a resistor! Follow these steps to build your circuit on the breadboard:

1. Place the LED: Insert the longer leg (the anode) of the LED into a row on the breadboard. This will be your positive side. Insert the shorter leg (the cathode) of the LED into a different row. This will be the negative side.
   
2. Insert the Resistor: Take a 220Ω resistor and connect one end to the same row as the LED’s anode (longer leg). Insert the other end of the resistor into a separate row.
   
3. Connect to the Positive Rail: Use a jumper wire to connect the positive rail of the breadboard (the one marked with a + sign) to the row where the free end of the resistor is connected.
   
4. Connect to the Negative Rail: Now, take another jumper wire and connect the negative rail (the one marked with a – sign) to the row where the LED’s cathode (shorter leg) is placed.
   
5. Power the Circuit: Finally, connect your power supply to the power rails. Make sure the power is set to the correct voltage (usually 5V for a simple LED circuit).

[image: gif of assembly]

If everything is connected properly, your LED should light up! If it doesn’t, double-check the connections to make sure the LED is correctly oriented and the resistor is placed in the correct position.

Congratulations, you’ve just built your first simple LED circuit!