Electrical Engineering for Junior

Date:  Sep 1, 2013

It happened two times already.  

1)  He put 2 ordinary battery into a battery charger and he plug it into the power outlet.

2)  He plugged an RJ11 telephone cable into my Apple Extreme Wireless Switch.

Hmmm…. both looks like innocently, trying to help out but he did it without us around.  HaHaHaHa

So, I bought him this Snap On Electrical Set so that he can learned what is Electricity, why it is dangerous (by touching the connection, he felt a little warm), so, I explained to him, 2 battery is 6V may be, and just imagine multiply it until 240V.  It will be very hot.  So, he start to understand. 

This is the box I bought for him.  That you have 500 projects for him to do and to understand.

All the snap on circuits, ICs, are all well arranged in the box.  Quite cool.

I bought it from Wonders Work @ Liang Court.  

It is created by Elanco.

It is a very innovative systems that teaches kids how to build circuits.  

It comes with 3 books.  This is book #1.  It has 100 projects in it.

So, first project, how to build a light with a switch.

So all these snap circuits comes with a button like connector.  Simply button the circuit together, and you can build a lot of stuff.

Here is Project #1.

Wow, flip the switch, and the light bulb lights up.  Cool!

Here is how I explained to him.

1.  Battery got + and -.  Electron is like a roller coaster cart.  It has to go from + side (high) and towards the - side which is a low side.

2.  When the Electron which is the roller coaster go to the bottom of the battery which is - side, inside the battery is like a lift or escalator.  So, it will pull the roller coaster cart up and recharge or reenergise the cart.  So, front he high side, it can go down again.

3.  I purposely break a circuit by pulling the wire connector aside.  The light bulbs dim.  So, if I broke the circuit, no roller cart can go thru.  So, no power to power up the light bulb.

4.  I put the circuit back, and the light bulb lights up again.  And this action is like a switch.  

So, he can relates to many thing in the house hold.

There are other model.

Wow, you can build a Morse Code Generator.

How about building a radio.  Wow.  

Wow.  500 projects to choose from.  It will takes him some time to do these.  Quite interesting project.

OK.  He is working not he next project.  A sound activated switch.

Got to enjoy watching this young kid building the circuit board.

It is like building Lego bricks.  but this is Snap On electronics circuits.

Connecting the wire and cable.  Wow, I look at the circuit I also don't know how to explain to him how it works.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Clap your hand (near the Yellow snap on which is s a whistle sensor) and the music will play.  This is very cool!  He always uses his Lego Mindstorms noise sensor to activate a mechanical arm.  Now, he build the sensor circuits.  hahaha

This is another project he build.  And this one turn electrical power into mechanical power.  

So, you asked me, is it too early for kids of 7 years old learning all these?

Of course is no.  If they have capacity to learn, why not?  HaHaHaHaHa...

Young engineer in the make.

Many times you do not notice or you do not admit.  But we parents always the one that influence the kid what they want to become.  For me of course I do not force him what he wants to be.  But I will expose him more with this so that he is in the right course to make a choice we preferred.  hahahahaha Evil!

Think!  Those people who make their kids learn piano for 1 hour every day (they do have such parents).  Their kid will likely become a musicians.  hahaha