Elenco Snap Circuits SOUND &reg - Manual (Page 6)

-5-
About Your Snap Circuits ® SOUND Parts
(Part designs are subject to change without
notice).
BASE GRID
The blue snap wires
are wires used to
connect components.
They are used to
transport electricity and do
not affect circuit performance.
They come in different lengths to
allow orderly arrangement of connections
on the base grid.
The red and black
jumper wires make
flexible connections for
times when using the snap wires
would be difficult. They also are
used to make connections off the base grid.
Wires transport electricity just like pipes are used
to transport water. The colorful plastic coating
protects them and prevents electricity from
getting in or out.
BATTERY HOLDER
The base grid is a platform for mounting parts
and wires. It functions like the printed circuit
boards used in most electronic products, or like
how the walls are used for mounting the electrical
wiring in your home.
SNAP WIRES & JUMPER WIRES
The batteries (B1) produce an electrical voltage
using a chemical reaction. This “voltage” can be
thought of as electrical pressure, pushing
electricity through a circuit just like a pump
pushes water through pipes. This voltage is
much lower and much safer than that used in
your house wiring. Using more batteries
increases the “pressure”, therefore, more
electricity flows.
Battery Holder (B1)
SLIDE & PRESS SWITCHES
The slide & press switches (S1 & S2) connect
(pressed or “ON”) or disconnect (not pressed or
“OFF”) the wires in a circuit. When ON they have no
effect on circuit performance. Switches turn on
electricity just like a faucet turns on water from a pipe.
Slide & Press
Switches
(S1 & S2)
RESISTORS
Resistors “resist” the flow of electricity and are
used to control or limit the current in a circuit.
Snap Circuits
® SOUND includes 100 W (R1) and
5.1k W (R3) resistors (“k” symbolizes 1,000, so
R3 is really 5,100 W ). Materials like metal have
very low resistance (<1 W ), while materials like
paper, plastic, and air have near-infinite
resistance. Increasing circuit resistance reduces
the flow of electricity.
Resistors (R1 & R3)
Adjustable Resistor (RV)
The adjustable
resistor (RV) is a
50k
W resistor but
with a center tap
that can be adjusted
between 200
W and
50k W .
The 500k W adjustable resistor (RV3) is a
500k W resistor that can be adjusted between
200 W and 500k W .
500k W Adjustable Resistor (RV3)