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LESSON 01Absolute Beginner
Your First Light: Power an LED with a Battery
~4 min6 components Video Available
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Try the Circuit
Interact with the circuit right here — click the button, watch the LED, and experiment!
About this Lesson
This is your very first step into electronics — no code, no Arduino, just pure electricity. You will learn how energy flows from a battery, how an LED turns that energy into light, and why a resistor is critical to protect your components. By the end, you will understand the foundation of every electronic device in the world — controlled energy flow.
What You'll Do
1
Understand what a battery does — it provides voltage (electrical pressure) that pushes electrons through a circuit
2
Learn what an LED is — a Light Emitting Diode that only allows electricity to flow in one direction and converts energy into light
3
Identify LED legs: the longer leg is positive (anode), the shorter leg is negative (cathode)
4
Understand why a resistor is needed — it limits current and prevents the LED from burning out instantly
5
Connect the battery positive (+) to the resistor, then to the LED anode (long leg)
6
Connect the LED cathode (short leg) back to the battery negative (−) to complete the circuit
7
Observe what happens — as soon as the circuit is closed, electrons flow and the LED produces light
8
Try reversing the LED — notice it does NOT light up, because current cannot flow backward through a diode
9
Experiment with different resistors — see how brightness changes depending on current
10
Understand the concept of a closed circuit vs open circuit — electricity only flows when the path is complete
Components Needed
- Arduino Uno
- USB Cable
- 1× LED
- 220Ω Resistor
- Breadboard
- 2× Jumper Wires
Don't have the parts?
The Robotik Starter Kit includes everything you need for this and all beginner lessons.
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