TinkerCad || Tutorial 1 || Learn basic electronics

Welcome to Tutorial 1 of our exciting TinkerCad series! In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll explore the basics of electronics — perfect for kids, students, and curious minds just starting out. We’ll learn about key components, how to connect them safely, and even simulate real circuits online using Tinker CAD!

TinkerCad is a free, browser-based platform where you can build and simulate electronic circuits — without any wires or soldering! It’s a safe and fun way to learn electronics, coding, and hardware concepts.

Basic Electronic Components You’ll Use

Let’s get to know some beginner-friendly parts:

Component	Description
LED	A small light that glows when powered. Make sure to connect the legs properly!
Resistor	Controls the amount of electricity. Prevents LEDs from burning out.
Breadboard	A reusable board to connect components without soldering.
Battery/Power	Provides the energy for your circuit (in TinkerCad, we use a power supply).
Microcontroller	Like an Arduino Uno — it controls your circuit using code.

What Do Positive and Negative Terminals Mean? (Basic Physics)

In electronics, electricity is the flow of tiny particles called electrons. These electrons move through wires and components — and they always flow from negative to positive.

Positive Terminal (+)

This is where electrons are attracted to.
It’s called the anode in most components.
In a battery, the positive terminal receives electrons (it’s the higher voltage point).

Negative Terminal (–)

This is where electrons start flowing from.
It’s called the cathode in components like LEDs.
In a battery, the negative terminal sends out electrons.

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Simple Way to Understand:

Think of electricity like water in a pipe:

Negative terminal is like the water tank — pushing water (electrons) out.
Positive terminal is like the drain — where water flows to.

Electrons flow through a closed loop called a circuit. If the loop is broken, electricity won’t flow — and your LED won’t light up!

Why It Matters:

Some parts like LEDs, capacitors, and batteries only work when connected in the correct direction. If you mix up the + and – sides:

The LED won’t light up
The capacitor might not work properly (or even burst!)
The circuit may not work at all

But for components like resistors, there’s no positive or negative side — they work in either direction.

Why Do We Connect a Resistor Between the Positive Side of the Battery and the LED?

First, understand the purpose of a resistor:

A resistor limits the amount of electric current flowing through a circuit. This protects sensitive components like LEDs from getting too much current and burning out.

Why we put the resistor before the LED (on the positive side):

This is the most common and safe wiring method.
The resistor slows down the current before it reaches the LED.
It gives you better control over how much current goes into the LED.

Understanding Anode & Cathode

In electronics, many components like LEDs have two sides:

Anode (+)	Cathode (–)
Positive terminal	Negative terminal
Connects to + side of the power supply	Connects to – (GND) side of the power supply
Usually the longer leg	Usually the shorter leg
Current enters the component here	Current exits the component here

Example with an LED:

Anode (long leg): Connect to the positive terminal of the battery.
Cathode (short leg, flat edge): Connect to the negative (ground) side.

Why It Matters

If you connect an LED backward, it won’t light up!
This is because electricity flows only one way through diodes like LEDs — from anode to cathode.

Bonus Tip:

You can remember:

Anode = Accepts current
Cathode = Carries current out

Safety First — Real or Virtual!

Even in a virtual environment like TinkerCad, it’s important to understand these safety tips:

Never connect an LED directly to a battery without a resistor.
Always check the polarity (positive and negative sides) of your components.
Use low-voltage simulations (under 5V) for beginner circuits.
Practice wire management — neat circuits are easier to debug!

What You Need (All available in TinkerCad):

Breadboard
1 Red LED
1 Resistor (220Ω)
9V Battery (with battery clip)
Slide Switch
Jumper wires

🪛 Step-by-Step Instructions:

Place the breadboard on your TinkerCad workspace.
Insert the Red LED into the breadboard:
- Long leg = positive (anode)
- Short leg = negative (cathode)
Place the 220Ω resistor from the short leg of the LED to the ground rail (–) on the breadboard.
Place the slide switch across the central divider of the breadboard (so its legs are in different rows).
Use a jumper wire to connect:
- One side of the switch to the positive rail (+).
- The other side of the switch to the long leg of the LED (anode).
Drag in the 9V Battery:
- Red wire → connect to positive (+) rail on breadboard
- Black wire → connect to negative (–) rail

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✅ What Happens:

When the switch is pressed, the current flows through the LED, and it lights up.
When the switch is not pressed, the LED remains off.
The resistor ensures the LED stays protected from high current.

If you area Student and you have Code provided by your instructor , please click student with Class Code option else go with other options for login. Pretty simple right!

Click the Create Plus icon as soon in image and choose Circuit

Now search for the components like 1st need breadboard drag it to the white open are , search LED Drag it same way, search resistor and connect with positive pin of led and another with the switch(drag and drop from right side menu) , Finally add battery and connect with Breadboard terminals .

Name Resistor as r1
Set value of resistance is 220 (you might have seen an ” ! ” sign
Try to figure out clicking on ! and decide if you need to increase / decrease the resistance.
To test the circuit just click on top right Start Simulation button. Then toggle the switch to turn on and off the LED
If you see it’s working as mentioned above CONGRATS! you have learned the basic circuit building.

Note: Ohm is the unit of resistance . It’s defined as the resistance of a circuit in which a potential

difference of one volt produces a current of one ampere.