Arduino Basics
What is an Arduino?
A small, programmable computer.
Where will electricity flow: a closed circuit or an open circuit?
A closed circuit.
What is called the "brain" of the Arduino?
The microcontroller.
What component protects an LED from getting too much current?
A resistor.
Which function runs only once when the Arduino starts?
setup()
Name two things an Arduino can control.
LEDs, motors, sensors, displays, buzzers, etc.
Voltage is often compared to what?
Pressure
Which type of pins are used to read sensors that change gradually, like temperature?
Analog pins.
What is a breadboard used for?
Connecting components without soldering.
Which function keeps running over and over again?
loop()
Why do engineers and inventors like using Arduino?
Because it's cost-efficient, easy to program, and can control electronics.
If a circuit is open, what happens to the current?
Current stops flowing.
Which type of Arduino pin would you use to read a temperature sensor?
An analog pin.
Why are jumper wires important?
They connect different parts of the circuit.
What does pinMode() do?
It tells the Arduino whether a pin is an input or an output.
A student says an Arduino is only useful for classroom projects. Why is that incorrect?
Arduino is also used in real-world engineering, robotics, research, and prototypes.
A copper wire and a rubber tube are both on a table. Which one can electricity travel through more easily?
Copper.
A button only has two states: pressed or not pressed. Should it use a digital pin or an analog pin?
Digital pin.
Why is it useful that breadboards can be reused?
You can build and change circuits without permanently attaching parts.
A student wants an LED to blink forever. Should the blinking code go in setup() or loop()?
loop()
You want an Arduino to automatically turn on a light when your room gets dark. What kind of sensor would you need, and what output device would the Arduino control?
A light sensor (photoresistor/LDR) and an LED (or lamp).
You connect an LED to a battery but forget one wire back to the battery. Why doesn't the LED light up?
The circuit isn't complete.
Why would you use a PWM (~) pin instead of a regular digital pin for an LED?
Because PWM can make the LED appear dimmer or brighter.
You accidentally place two component legs in the same connected row of a breadboard when they shouldn't be. What problem could happen?
A short circuit or incorrect circuit connection.
A student accidentally puts all of their blinking code inside setup(). What will probably happen?
The code will only run once when the Arduino starts.