Paper Circuits with LEDs

None required — a single coin-cell battery and LED at this scale is low voltage and safe to handle directly.

Disposal: Coin-cell batteries should be recycled at a battery recycling point, not put in general waste.

Materials

• Copper conductive tape
• A 3V coin-cell battery (e.g. CR2032)
• One or more LEDs
• A sheet of paper or card

Steps

1. Sketch a simple circuit path on the paper connecting where the battery, tape and LED will go.
2. Lay copper tape along the path, keeping the strips of tape from touching each other except where they should connect.
3. Note that an LED only lights up when connected the correct way round — if it doesn't light up, try flipping it around.
4. Place the LED's two legs onto two separate copper tape paths, then place the coin-cell battery so it bridges the circuit and completes it.
5. Try adding a second LED in the same circuit, or a paper 'switch' (a small gap in the tape that you press two flaps together to close).