A light-sensitive divider and a threshold detector can switch a lamp as surroundings become dark. Divider orientation determines the direction of the voltage change.
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SUPPLY5.00 V
CURRENT1.04 mA
OUTPUT1.04 V
TIME0.00 s
Live curve
Calculated outputSource waveformMarker = current time
A light-sensitive divider and a threshold detector can switch a lamp as surroundings become dark. Divider orientation determines the direction of the voltage change.
1. Set up the experiment
Reduce the light level and find where the output indicator turns on. Compare the sensed voltage with the fixed threshold.
2. Connect the result to the equation
on = light_level < threshold
Change one parameter at a time and keep the others fixed. Read the signed output and current, then use the curve to distinguish a steady relationship from a changing transient.
Initial supply
5.00 V
Initial current
1.044 mA
Initial output
1.044 V
3. Notice the limits
Near a threshold, real circuits may chatter if light or noise fluctuates. Hysteresis creates different on and off thresholds to prevent rapid toggling.
Circuit reference diagram
Continue this learning path
Why it’s here
Electronics 101 makes a component change visible: an altered resistance changes a current, a capacitor changes a delay, and a sensor changes a decision. The course guide links each concept to its experiment.
Open Ohm’s law and predict the effect of doubling the voltage.
Change the control and compare the ammeter, curve and equation.
Try RC charging and use the time constant to explain the curve.
Return to the course guide to choose the next experiment.
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They are analytic teaching models: ideal sources and switches, fixed diode drops, simple BJT gain and saturation, exponential RC behavior, and illustrative sensor curves. They are not a SPICE solver or construction verification.
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Model references and scope
Original NavSprout lessons use standard lumped-circuit relationships and explicitly simplified component models. Diagrams explain teaching topologies, while the breadboard probe explains socket continuity. The workbench is not a verified physical assembly plan.
