Snap Circuits Australia

When I saw the Snap Circuits kit being used by our friend, I was playing with them. I was immediately captivated. I was so enthralled that my parents bought me a Snap Circuits kit for Chanukah. Whoo! (Thanks, L&N!)

Circuit building has always been something I have wanted to do, but I don’t know how to master it. I want to go beyond assembling circuits to understand the purpose of each component and why it was chosen. Snap Circuits are like Duplo-Blocks for electronics. They’re big and bulky but easy to use, making them ideal for beginners. Snap Circuits are similar to Duplo’s basic building concepts. Could Snap Circuits help me improve my electronics knowledge?

36 of the 125 experiments described in the user manual came from me. The jury is still out on how much Snap will impact my understanding of electronics. I have noticed two remarkable nuances in the kit that could be the game-changer I’m looking for.

This circuit is simple enough. Two ways current flows from the battery into a motor are described below. The current flows to the engine directly if S2 is pressed. If S2 is not pressed, the current flows through to the motor. Both cases cause the motor to spin. The critical point is that pressing S2 will cause the engine to turn faster. This is because the lamp creates resistance which slows down the motor. This resistance is bypassed by pressing S2.

This is a very clever experiment. What struck me most was the use of the lamp as a resistor. My Skill Building Kit was my first thought when I began to dive into it. I thought, “This is great! But I need to have more components.” However, having fewer parts is a feature, not a bug. The kit uses all components in new ways, just like the experiment.

So far, I have used a lamp to resist, a motor, a photoresistor, and transistor to switch, a speaker for current and sound, an LED to see the light, a paperclip, and a USB cable to conduct. This is more than just a thrifty use of parts. This is the key to not seeing electronic components as puzzle pieces but as general-purpose tools.

Another thing I love about the kit is how easy it is for me to try out minor circuit variations. Consider experiments #31 (Transistor Control) through #34 (Murky Motor). These are variations of the circuit.

This is a transistor and a motor, as well as a lamp. You can achieve completely different results by changing the position of the engine and lamp. My understanding of transistors made me believe that the motor would spin and the lamp would light up. The motor is not spinning, but the lamp is lit. Most of the current flows through the three snap wire, then the lamp. The motor’s branch has enough current to keep the transistor open but not enough to make the motor spin.

These subtle differences in circuits are not difficult to overlook, but they are crucial for understanding electronics.

It’s easy to re-snap a circuit in different configurations. This allows you to experiment very easily. Although the user guide will often show you how to make a particular circuit, it is easy to create your own.

You can do this project with just a few dollars of electronics and a breadboard. Snap Circuits are easier than breadboards.

As you can see, I am excited to keep going through the 125 experiments. However, I have had enough. Aha! Moments to realize that Snap Circuits are a winner. This kit is excellent if you are willing to satisfy your curiosity.