1 of 15

The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Soldering the “HUE” Kit – Part 3

Disclaimer/Hold Harmless: Use at your own risk. Use requires understanding of tools/circuits/safety prior to implementation. In no way is the lesson all inclusive of these concepts. Lessons are for inspiration purpose only. Use caution with button cell batteries, circuits and soldering irons.

2 of 15

Soldering the “HUE” Kit – Part 3

A High School STEM lesson

Author: Amy Martinez

Date

March 2023

3 of 15

Notes for teachers

​

Part 1 is understanding the soldering kit and components

​

Part 2 is building the kit

​

Part 3 is dissecting the kit (additive vs subtractive colors and wavelengths)

​

Part 4 is presenting what you have learned via powerpoint or google slides

List of Materials

  • You will need your soldering HUE kit that you previously built.

​

​

4 of 15

Standards

STANDARD 3.0 APPLY MATHEMATICAL LAWS AND PRINCIPLES RELEVANT TO ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

​

STANDARD 5.0 APPLY TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS TO ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

​

STANDARD 6.0 APPLY COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO ENGINEERING PROJECTS

  • ​
  • ​

Standards

Arizona CTE Engineering Standards

5 of 15

Objectives:

Today we will understand the differences between additive and subtractive light.

We will understand how our HUE kit works to change the light emitted by the LED.

We will observe the phenomena of our system.

6 of 15

Agenda (1 hour)

Intro – 10 minutes

Exploration – 20 minutes

Questions– 10 minutes

Questions are written down on a whiteboard and hypotheses are posed. Teacher condenses questions down to 3-5 main questions.

Research – 20 minutes to research answers to main questions. All must be logged into the notebook with citations/date/time, etc.

7 of 15

Intro

​

​

How does this system work?

Why do we get different hues from our soldering kit?

What is going on within the circuit?

What is going on within our LED?

8 of 15

Hands-on Activity Instructions

  • In groups of 2-4, students take turns changing the dials (potentiometers) on the soldering kit.
  • We will use a coded system to check our light color. The dial turned all the way to the left will the ‘0’. The dial turned to the middle position is ‘.5’. The dial turned all the way to the right is ‘1’.
  • How many combinations are there?

–see extended/enrichment activities

​

​

​

Left Pot.

Middle Pot

Right Pot

1

0

0

0

2

0

0

.5

3

0

0

1

4

0

.5

0

5

0

.5

.5

6

0

.5

1

7

0

1

0

8

0

1

.5

9

0

1

1

10

.5

0

0

11

.5

0

.5

12

.5

0

1

13

.5

.5

0

14

.5

.5

.5

15

.5

.5

1

​

Left Pot.

Middle Pot

Right Pot

16

.5

1

0

17

.5

1

.5

18

.5

1

1

19

1

0

0

20

1

0

.5

21

1

0

1

22

1

.5

0

23

1

.5

.5

24

1

.5

1

25

1

1

0

26

1

1

.5

27

1

1

1

9 of 15

Record results in notebook

​

Left Pot.

Middle Pot

Right Pot

Color?

1

0

0

0

​

2

0

0

.5

​

3

0

0

1

​

4

0

.5

0

​

5

0

.5

.5

​

6

0

.5

1

​

7

0

1

0

​

8

0

1

.5

​

9

0

1

1

​

10

.5

0

0

​

11

.5

0

.5

​

12

.5

0

1

​

13

.5

.5

0

​

14

.5

.5

.5

​

15

.5

.5

1

​

​

Left Pot.

Middle Pot

Right Pot

Color?

​

16

.5

1

0

​

17

.5

1

.5

​

18

.5

1

1

​

19

1

0

0

​

20

1

0

.5

​

21

1

0

1

​

22

1

.5

0

​

23

1

.5

.5

​

24

1

.5

1

​

25

1

1

0

​

26

1

1

.5

​

27

1

1

1

​

10 of 15

Focusing research:

Refer to the wiki site:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_color#:~:text=Additive%20color%2C%20alone%2C%20does%20not,as%20those%20in%20paints%2C%20inks.

​

Read as a class and discuss together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Additive_color#:~:text=Additive%20color%2C%20alone%2C%20does%20not,as%20those%20in%20paints%2C%20inks.

11 of 15

Focusing research:

Refer to the wiki site:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtractive_color

​

Read as a class and discuss together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtractive_color

12 of 15

Why does turning the potentiometer change the color?

As a class, come up with ideas for why turning the dial on the potentiometer changes the color on the LED.

​

A potentiometer is a variable resistor, so with higher resistance, we get less current flowing through our circuit. With lower resistance, we get more current flowing through our circuit.

​

What color is controlled by the left-most potentiometer? What about the center potentiometer? And the right-most potentiometer?

Make sure student are logging all their ideas in the notebooks.

​

13 of 15

What are those colors?

  • Research colors and wavelengths.
  • Be able to list and discuss the wavelengths for each associated color produced by your LED.
  • How are wavelength and frequency related? What are their equations?

Start here:

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/47-colours-of-light or another website that details wavelengths of colors.

  • Discuss this in your research report.
  • Discuss ways that this understanding of wavelengths and frequencies has been used in Engineering.

Make sure student are logging all their ideas in the notebooks.

​

14 of 15

Assessment

Assessment will occur in the next lesson with their presentation to the class based on what they have learned and how they answer the pressing questions. Were the class hypotheses correct or incorrect?

​

Make sure to check in with students formatively as they complete research and discussions.

15 of 15

Differentiation

Provide additional time and require less of students who are moving through the work more slowly.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

(For older students, they should now that 3^3 means there will be 27 combinations. They can be tasked with coming up with these combinations on their own).

​

What is the benefit/function of having lights that can be manipulated/changed?