Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
Is there a video to show how to solder the on/off switch and or use the breadboard switch for the jumping robot? I tried to add a switch to the robot and the battery would start to smoke. What am I doing wrong? What’s the best way to install a switch to turn it on / off?

Hi there,

There is no video on ScienceBuddies that shows how to solder the wires, however you can use a breadboard to supplement the soldering. All the switch does is direct the voltage through the wire, so you just need to place one male jumper wire on one of the end pins of the switch and another on the middle pin of the switch, and then you can attach the breadboard somewhere on the robot next to the battery.

Hi - the answer to this question depends on exactly what type of switch you purchased. If you can post a picture of the switch we can help. Based on your post it sounds like you accidentally short-circuited the battery when attempting to install the switch. As shown in Figure 3 in the project, it's important to install the switch in series with the motor: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ping-robot.

If you are using a breadboard, it's also important to understand how a breadboard works to avoid creating short-circuits. We recommend watching the video on this page if you haven't already: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... breadboard