Glowing Greeting Card

Intro: Glowing Greeting Card

PURPOSE: Create a greeting card or name plate that lights up.

STEP 1: DOCUMENTATION

Document and share your process and final object by taking photographs and/or videos with your phone. Be sure not to include any faces. Email or text Indiana University Researchers at [e-mail]. We may post these on our Facebook page – STEM Education Research Group at IUB (@IUBSTEMeducation).

STEP 2: BEFORE GETTING STARTED

You need to be knowledgeable of how to build a simple circuit. Take a look at the pictures on the following cards and consider the question(s) with each picture.

STEP 3: PICTURE 1

KIT-CHAT: Describe the circuit. What do you notice?

STEP 4: PICTURE 2

KIT-CHAT:

What do you notice about the legs of the LED light? For example, are the legs below or above the conductive tape? Why do you think this is the case?

STEP 5: PICTURE 3

KIT-CHAT:

The battery is placed near a corner. Why?

What else do you notice about the placement of the battery?

STEP 6: PICTURE 4

KIT-CHAT

Why do you fold the corner of the card?

Why is the fold not touching the tape?

STEP 7: DECORATE

Decorate the outside of your blank card using the provided markers. Consider how you will integrate a LED light into your design.

STEP 8: SKETCH

Open up the card. Under the side of your drawing, sketch a path for you circuit.

1. Draw a rectangle to indicate where the legs of the LED light will be placed.

2. Draw a circle to indicate where you will place the battery.

3. Draw lines to indicate where you will lay the conductive tape.

STEP 9: CONDUCTIVE TAPE

Cut single strips of conductive tape the same length of the path drawn in your sketch. Peel the back of the tape and stick down on your path.

KIT-CHAT:

1. BE CAREFUL: The tape will coil. What strategy can you use to prevent the conductive tape from coiling up?

2. Should you overlay strips of conductive tape? Why or why not?

STEP 10: LED LIGHT

Poke the LED light through the front of the card. *Be careful as the legs may bend. You may wish to poke a hole with another tool.* Spread the legs of the LED light and tape down.

KIT-CHAT:

1. Walk me through the steps here.

2. Does it look similar to the simple circuit example? Explain.

STEP 11: BATTERY

Tape down part of the battery.

KIT-CHAT:

1. Did you place the positive side of the battery up or down? Explain.

2. Should you place the battery on top of the conductive tape? Why or why not?

3. Should you tape over the entire battery? Why or why not?

STEP 12: FINAL STEP

Fold the corner as shown in the simple circuit image above. The conductive tape should touch the battery. At this point, your light should be GLOWING!

KIT-CHAT:

1. Why is it important for the conductive tape to touch the battery?

2. What are reasons your light may not be working?

STEP 13: TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

1. Try flipping the battery over.

2. Try turning the LED light over.

3. Check the connection when you fold the card to close the circuit.

4. Be sure the legs of the LED light are taped securely on the conductive tape.

5. Make sure the tape over the battery is not interfering when you fold the card to close the circuit.

STEP 14: CHECK OUT THESE RELATED VIDEOS!

Circuit Board Assembly

What is Electrical Engineering?

Ohm's Law 1

Ohm's Law 2

STEP 15: DON'T FORGET...

Email or text us your photographs and/or videos at [e-mail]

Comments

[tomatoskins]

What a great looking card! Thanks for sharing your fun project!