Powering a project
Electronic

The safest way to power a project is with a battery. Each circuit requires a voltage from 3v to 12v.

This can be supplied from a set of AA cells in a holder or you can also use a 9v battery for some projects.

If you want to power a circuit for a long period of time, you will need a "power supply." The safest power supply is a Plug Pack (wall-wort, wall wart, wall cube, power brick, plug-in adapter, adapter block, domestic mains adapter, power adapter, or AC adapter).

Some plug packs have a switchable output voltage: 3v, 6v, 7.5v, 9v, 12v) DC with a current rating of 500mA.

The black lead is negative and the other lead with a white stripe (or a grey lead with a black stripe) is the positive lead. This is the safest way to power a project as the insulation (isolation) from the mains is provided inside the adapter and there is no possibility of getting a shock.

The rating "500mA" is the maximum the Plug Pack will deliver and if your circuit takes just 50mA, this is the current that will be supplied. Some pluck packs are rated at 300mA or 1A and some have a fixed output voltage.

All these plug packs will be suitable. Some Plug Packs are marked "12vAC." This type of plug pack is not suitable for these circuits as it does not have a set of diodes and electrolytic to convert the AC to DC.