Connect It! Circuits You Can Squish, Bend, and Twist
4 What's a MAKERSPACE Imagine a room buzzing with activity All around you budding engineers and happy crafters are creating amazing projects Every tool or supply you can imagine is at the tips of your fingers Welcome to a makerspace Makerspaces are areas where people come together to create They are the perfect places to create cool projects using electrical circuits These marvelous spaces are equipped with all kinds of materials and tools But the most important tool is your imagination Makers dream up brand new circuit projects They find ways to put new twists on existing circuit projects to make them their own To do this makers need to be problem solving pros Are you ready to become a maker
5 BEFORE YOU GET STARTED GET PERMISSION MAKE A PLAN Ask an adult for permission to use the makerspace and materials before starting any project Read through the instructions and gather all your supplies ahead of time Keep them organized as you create BE RESPECTFUL Share tools and supplies with other makers When you're done with a tool put it back so others can use it BE SAFE Working with electricity can be dangerous so stay smart Keep your power source switched off when connecting wires Prevent short circuits Ask an adult for help when you need it
6 WHAT IS A CIRCUIT A circuit is a closed loop that electricity can travel through It needs a power source such as a battery It also needs a conductor such as a wire A circuit also has a load This is a device that the circuit powers A light bulb can be a load A switch controls the flow of electricity It breaks and connects the circuit so the flow can be turned off and on Switch Power Source Conductor Load
7 SHORT CIRCUITS Short circuits can happen when two conductors in a circuit touch that shouldn't This can keep the electricity from reaching the load Short circuits can also be dangerous They often cause wires and other metal parts to get very hot They also drain the power source quickly DYNAMITE DOUGH All the projects in this book use conductive and insulating dough Conductive dough transports electricity It allows you to easily connect circuit parts The insulating dough does not conduct electricity It can be used to separate pieces of conducting dough It prevents short circuits Squishy Circuits is a company that sells conductive and insulating dough and circuit parts The company's kits make building circuits easy You can also make your own dough And you can buy circuit parts online or at hobby stores Many parts can also be found in robotics kits
