LED lights are fantastic
gadgetry. Unfortunately, for those not well versed in the laws of
physics and
electronic circuit theory, it can be slightly complicated to implement them in
the real world. All LEDs should have a
resistor in series in order to limit the
current, otherwise they may
explode. For a resistor placed in
series, only one resistor is needed, as opposed to in
parallel, where each LED needs its own. LEDs in series are where each LED is connected directly to the next: ...--o--o--o--... LEDs in parallel are similar to a ladder, with an LED on each rung and the connecting wood the wires.
The formula below is for determining the resistor needed for a number of LEDs in series.
Where:
R = resistance required, in
ohms
V =
voltage supplied by the
battery in
volts
V(led) = forward voltage required by each LED in volts, usually found on the packaging
n = number of LEDs
I = maximum current rating in
Amps, also found on the packaging
R = (V - n*V(led)) / I
For
example:
I want 3 white LEDs to light up, each with a
forward voltage of 3.6 Volts and a maximum
current rating of 25 milliamps. The
equation would thus be:
R = (12V - 3*3.6V) / .025 A = 48 ohms.
A resistor
larger than 48 ohms is required to keep the current at a level that won't
blow up the LED.
Of course, if a
negative number is obtained, you need to supply a larger
voltage.