Elenco Snap Circuits Water Clock reg User Manual

ARNING : Always check yo ur wiring befo re

W

turnin g on a ci rcuit. N ever l eave a circu it
unatte nded while the batteries are inst alled.
Never connect additional batteries or any other

ower sources to your circuits.

p

Water Power

Model SCP-07

ARNING: SHOCK HAZARD -

W

ever connect Snap Circuits

N
to the electrical outlets in your
home in any way!

®

Assembling the Liquid Energy Source:

Connect the 3 electrode parts together with screws and
nuts as shown. Tighten by hand, a screwdriver is not
needed.

About Your Parts:

The liquid energy source (liquid holder and

electrodes): Cola-flavored soda is lightly acidic. The

acid is similar to the material used in some types of
batteries but not as strong. The acid in the cola reacts
with the copper and zinc electrodes to make electricity,
just like a battery. As some of the acid in the soda is
used up, the electricity produced drops.

Each of the compartments in the liquid energy source
produces about 0.7V, though the current is very low.
When the four compartments are connected in a series,
their voltages add together to make about 2.8V total.
Each compartment is like a cell of a battery.

The red LED (D1) is a light emitting diode, and may be
thought of as a special one-way light bulb. In the
“forward” direction, (indicated by the “arrow” in the
symbol) electricity flows if the voltage exceeds a turn-on
threshold (about 1.5V); brightness then increases.
Once turned on, LEDs produce light much more
efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. LED’s block
electricity in the “reverse” direction.

The red and black

wires are wires

used to connect
components. They
are used to transport
electricity and do not affect circuit
performance. 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.

The clock (T2) contains a small crystal. When a crystal
is struck by an electronic pulse, it vibrates. A
microelectronic circuit makes the pulse and measures
the vibration rate. The vibration rate is used as a time
standard, from which minutes, hours, and the date are
calculated.

Clock (T2)

The 470mF capacitor (C5) can store electrical pressure
(voltage) for periods of time. Capacitors are used for
filtering and delay circuits.

LED (D1)

If you have any problems, contact Elenco

®

Capacitor (C5)

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[phone] Fax: [phone] • e-mail: [e-mail] • Website: www.elenco.com or www.snapcircuits.net

753152

Soda can be used in this way to
produce electricity, but it does not
produce very much, so is not
widely used. However, biomass
power plants, which burn decaying
food products and yard waste, are
increasingly being used. These
plants produce electricity from
garbage that would otherwise be
filling up landfills, and they don’t
pollute the environment.

Project #1

+

Liquid Energy Source

Cola Light

Assemble the Lliquid Energy Source. Connect the red & black
wires to the LED (D1); the red wire goes to the copper electrode.
Fill the compartments with cola soda (other soda flavors and lemon,
tomato, or grapefruit juice also work).

The LED should be on, though it may be dim. If dim, it is because the
cola cannot make as much electricity as the LED wants. If you watch
the circuit for a while, the LED brightness and voltage may slowly
drop as the cola reacts with the electrodes to produce electricity.

You can move the copper electrode with the snap on it over to the
next compartment, as shown in the Liquid Battery project. The LED
will be dimmer or not light at all, because the voltage is lower.

If the copper and zinc electrodes get corroded through use, use
sandpaper, steel wool, or a scraper to remove the corrosion and
improve performance.

Don’t drink any soda or juice used in this project. Wash the
electrodes and liquid holder.

If you had pipes pumping
fresh cola into the liquid
cells and removing some
of the used liquid, then the
LED would stay lit as long
as the flow was maintained

- it would be a fuel cell.

Project #2

Replace the soda in the
liquid energy source with
fruit juice. Sour tasting
juices like lemon or
grapefruit work best. See
how bright the LED gets.
Try different juices and
compare them. Don’t
drink any soda or juice
used in this project. Wash
the electrodes and liquid
holder.

Juice Light

Some fruits and vegetables have a
sour taste because they are lightly
acidic. This acid can be used to
produce electricity just like the cola
and batteries do.

Using the natural chemical energy in
fruit is a very green (environmentally
friendly) way to produce electricity.

Project #3

Connect the liquid energy
source to the LED (D1). Fill
the compartments with
water. The red LED (D1)
may be dimly lit, depending
on your local water supply.

Dissolve some salt in the
water in all four
compartments. The voltage
will be higher and the LED
should light now. See how
long it lights the LED for.

Try replacing the red LED
with the clock (T2). See how
long the water can run the
clock.

Don’t drink any water used
in this project. Wash the
electrodes and liquid holder.

Water Light

The water in some areas is
slightly acidic due to impurities
in it. This may be strong enough
to produce electricity by reacting
with the electrodes, similar to
how a battery works. These
impurities should be safe to
drink. Adding salt to the water
increases the impurities.