Kendriya Vidyalaya

No. 2, Jaipur
Department of
Physics
Investigatory Project
2015-16
Submitted by:
Name: Aditya Kumar
Class: XII C
Roll No.-

Submitted to:
Mr. Rajesh Gupta
PGT (Physics)

CERTIFICATE:
This is to certify that Aditya Kumar
a student of class 12th C has
successfully completed the research
and prepared the working model on
the topic presented Light Detecting
And Sensitivity Control under the
guidance of Mr. Rajesh Gupta.
This project is absolutely genuine and
does not indulge in plagiarism of any
kind. The references taken in making
this project have been declared at the
end of this project.

Signature of
Signature of

Signature of

Internal Examiner
Principal

External Examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEM
ENT
In the accomplishment of this project successfully,
many people have best owned upon me their
blessings and the heart pledged support, this time I
am utilizing to thank all the people who have been
concerned with project.
Primarily I would thank god for being able to
complete this project with success. Then I would
like to thank my principal Mr. A. T. Mishra and my
physics teacher Mr. RAKESH GUPTA, whose
valuable guidance has been the ones that helped
me patch this project and make it full proof success
his suggestions and his instructions has served as
the major contributor towards the completion of the
project.

Then I would like to thank my parents and friends

who have helped me with their valuable suggestions
and guidance has been helpful in various phases of
the completion of the project.

Contents:
1.
2.
3.

Aim of the Project

Introduction
Gather Parts and Tools
a. Material Required
b. Tools Required
4. Construction and
Understanding
a. Install shorter
components
b. Install taller components
c. Connect the power
supply
5. Working

6. Applications and
Limitations
7. Bibliography

1. Aim of The Project:

To prepare a Simple Light Detector circuit with

Sensitivity Control, works in presence and
absence of light or as an indicator.

2.

Introduction:

Light detectors are one of the most popular sensor and they are
commonly found in many real-world applications. They are widely used
by electronic hobbyists and projects because they are practical and
intriguing yet surprising easy to construct. This instructable will guide
and show you how easy it is to breadboard your own light activated Light
Emitting Diode (LED) with minimal tools and materials. The whole
project is simple enough for beginners and should take at most 10
minutes to construct. This implementation can be used for an
educational demo or applied directly to the practical world.

3.

Gather Parts and Tools

the following are the list of materials and tools required for this
project. These are widely available and can be easily obtained. All
quantities are single unless specified otherwise.

a.

Material Required:

Breadboard
A few Jumper Wires
9 Volts Battery
9 Volts Battery Clip

 Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)

Light Emitting Diode (LED) with any color of choice
TLC3704 Quad Comparator (only one of its four comparators will
be used) (Alternatively, you can use the single LM311N
Comparator with 8pin)
3362P-103-ND 10K Ohms Variable Resistor
1K Ohms (Brown-Black-Red) Resistor X2
330 Ohms (Orange-Orange-Brown) Resistor

b.

Tools Required:

Variable Resistor Trimmer Pen (or a small screwdriver)

Needle-nose Pliers (not essential but useful for bread boarding)

4.

Construction and

Understanding:
The schematic diagram for the circuit is given in the picture above.
Like its name suggests, a comparator compares two given voltages. The pair
of 1K ohms resistors create a voltage divider and provide a 4.5 volts reference
for the comparator. The variable resistor and LDR both form another pair for a
second voltage divider. When light falls on the LDR, its resistance lowers and
that voltage divider provides a voltage lower than 4.5 volts. The comparator
produces no output (0 volts). When light is absent, the resistance of the LDR
and the voltage increases. When the voltage increases over 4.5, the
comparator activates its output and supplies 9 volts to power the LED.

a.

Install Shorter Components

It is always easier to place the shorter components on the breadboard first

before placing the taller ones. Hence we shall being with the shorter
components.
1. Insert the TLC3704 Integrated Circuit (IC) Chip between the middle divider of the
Breadboard.
2. Insert the Variable Resistor in the middle of the top row from column 2 to 4.
3. Insert two short Jumper Wires connecting J4 to J6 and G5 to G7.
4. Insert the remaining 4 longer Jumper Wires connecting J3 and J10 to the Positive
Rail, F4 to E4, and A10 to the Negative Rail.

This completes the placement of all Jumper Wires.

b.

Install Taller Components

Now that we have laid out all the shorter components, we can proceed to
finishing up with our taller components.
1. Bend the two legs of each resistor forming a U shape for easy insertion.
2. Insert a 1K Ohm (Brown-Black-Red) Resistor across H5 and the Positive Rail.
3. Insert the other 1K Ohm (Brown-Black-Red) Resistors across F5 and the ve Rail.
4. Insert last 330 Ohm (Orange-Orange-Brown) Resistor across G12 and D17.
5. Insert the longer leg of LED into position A17 and the shorter leg into ve Rail.
6. Insert the LDR across A4 and the Negative Rail.

c.Connect the Power Supply

Before we can configure and test the circuit, we need to attach the 9 Volts
Battery that will power our light detector.
1. Unwind and attach the Battery Clip to the 9 Volts Battery
2. Connect the Red Lead to the Positive Rail on the breadboard.
3. Connect the Black Lead to the Negative Rail on the breadboard.

5.

Working:

This step will allow you to setup and adjust the sensitivity of your light
detector for different working environments. Repeat this step as often as
you need to change the sensitivity of your light detector.
1. Transfer circuit to a desired working environment.
2. Turn the Trimmer of the Variable Resistor all the way clockwise with the
Trimmer Pen (or small screwdriver).
3. Slowly turn the Trimmer counter-clockwise until the LED just turns off.

4. Remove the Trimmer Pen.

5. Cover the LDR with your hand to test the circuit.

6.

Applications and Limitations:

The fully functional light detector turns an LED on when it detects
a lower intensity of light. It can be configured to be highly
sensitive and is capable of detecting the slight lowering of the
sun's intensity as it is partially covered by passing clouds. A
direct application of the circuit would be to turn on a night light as
your room light goes out or to keep a porch light on during the
night. The 330K Ohm Resistor and LED can be replaced with
virtually anything to trigger a signal or an event. For example, a 9
Volts Relay would be used to make an absence-of-light activated
switch. To make this circuit operate in reverse (the LED turns on
when there is light), simply just exchange the positions of the
Variable Resistor and the LDR.

7.

BIBLIOGRAPHY :

a. www.google.com
b. www.wikipedia.org
c. Ncert Textbook physics class XII