Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Purpose
To discover in depth how an LED flashlight works and to practice reverse
engineering methods.
Hypothesis
A circuit is created within the flashlight when the button is pressed. It turns on the
light and is powered by the battery within it.
Functional analysis
1. Overview- a button is pressed which completes a circuit, lighting a series of LEDs
in the flashlight.
2. Power- 4 AAA batteries are wired in series in the back of the light, providing 6
volts to the LEDs. Electrons flow from the negative terminal of the batteries,
through the LEDs, and back to the positive terminal of the batteries, where there
is an absence of electrons. The electrons are elevated to the negative terminal
by ionic reactions within the batteries, and repeat the process.
3. LEDs- The conductors in the LEDs are made of aluminum-gallium-arsenide, a
material that has no free electrons, because the atoms are perfectly bonded to
each other. This material can be doped to have either extra atoms or holes that
electrons can go into. An LED contains both of these materials, called N-type and
P-type. As electrons move from N to P-type, they drop to a lower orbital,
releasing energy in the form of photons.
Structural analysis
The flashlight is made up of a black plastic casing with a yellow button. The
casing is closed by 6 metal screws. A clear plastic window protects the LED while
allowing the light to be emitted. Within the window, there is a plastic reflector that
enhances the light from the LED. When the button is pushed, the circuit is completed,
sending the electric current to the LED and emitting its bright light. The resistor prevents
too much current from reaching the LED and destroying it.
Manufacturing analysis
This flashlight was manufactured en masse on an assembly line. It was designed
in the United States of America, but fabricated in China.
Works Cited
http://www.cookbrothers.com/product-page.cfm?productno=45222
https://www.jameco.com/Jameco/workshop/circuitnotes/circuit-notes-resistors.html
http://www.madlab.org/electrnx/lesson2.html
https://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2004/01/what-is-an-led.html
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/batteries.html