Craft to Career: Engineering With Circuits: DIY Motor and Robotics Projects
MAKING CRAFTS A CAREER What's your passion Think about that hobby or activity that challenges excites and fulfills you the one that makes you lose track of time Maybe it's drawing painting sewing or woodworking Or perhaps there's something you've always wanted to try such as graphic design or metalworking Arts and crafts have been enriching the lives of artists and audiences for thousands of years Many craftspeople have found ways to use their passion to support themselves financially turning their craft into a career Anyone can become an artist All you need is some basic knowledge a little creativity and a lot of patience This book is full of tips tricks and techniques to get you started on the road from craft to career What will you make Craftspeople make life more interesting Their creations delight others while often serving a practical purpose A well crafted table is both useful and beautiful A well designed concert poster can draw fans in while providing important information The details of a jacket or hat reflect an individual's personality and style 5
The source powers the circuit It might come from a battery or from an electrical outlet The conductor passes the current between the different parts of the circuit Wire is often used as a conductor 6 The load is a device that consumes power Some circuits include resistors Resistors reduce the voltage in a circuit
THE BASICS WHAT ARE CIRCUITS Have you ever turned on your computer to play a game admired a holiday light display or watched a race car speed around a track You were seeing circuits at work Electricity is the hidden force behind all these events And circuits are the loops that make electronics possible Circuits allow electrons to flow freely through different connections Electrons are negatively charged and flow toward the positive end of the circuit These electrons carry energy as they flow This energy is called current When the energy from an electrical current is harnessed it can do work such as turning on a flashlight or powering a space telescope All circuits have three main parts These are a source a conductor and a load These components can be assembled in many ways to do many different things The load is the purpose of the circuit A circuit can have many loads When the load is a motor the circuit can power something that moves such as a car or a 7 fan When the load is a light bulb the circuit can light a dark room When the load is a combination of sensors and processors and motors you've got a robot In addition to the three main components a circuit may also have insulators These are nonconductive materials that protect the circuit For example copper wire is often coated in rubber or a heat resistant plastic This keeps the circuit from overheating the area around it A switch can be used to break a circuit turning it off
