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SFE3013
BASIC ELECTRONICS
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ASSIGNMENT
SIMPLE DARK SENSOR
NAME

MATRICS NUMBER

ERMAHIJRA BINTI MOHAMAD KALAM

D20111048003

MOHD HAKIMI BIN ABD HADI

D20111048005

NUR AFIFAH BINTI OSMAN

D20111048006

NURUL ATIYAH BINTI RIPIN

D20111048011

LECTURER: DR. WAN ZUL ADLI BIN WAN MOKHTAR

DATE OF SUBMISSION

: 27 MAY 2014

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
....2
2. SCHEMATIC CIRCUIT
....3
3. DATA MEASUREMENT
5
4. EXPLANATION ON HOW THE CIRCUIT WORKS
6
5. RELATED PICTURES
8
6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
..11

INTRODUCTION

Simple dark sensor is an example of electronic circuit that use transistor as a switch. It
is practically use in automatic street light. It will automatically switch on lights when the
sunset and automatically switch off the lights when the sunrise.
Here in this case, the simple dark sensor consists of several electronic components.
The electronic components are:
1) Two resistors (300 Ohm, 100k Ohm)
2) Light dependent resistor (LDR)
3) Light emitting diode (LED)
4) 9V battery
5) Transistor (BC238)
The idea is when there is light strike to the LDR then the LED does not glow.
Meanwhile if there is no light strike to the LDR, the LED will glow.

SCHEMATIC CIRCUIT

Figure 1 Schematic circuit of dark sensor

Figure 2 Direction of current when the LED does

Figure 3 Direction of current when the LED

not glow

glows

Hint:
Current flows

DATA MEASUREMENT

MEASUREMENT

LED DOES NOT GLOW

LED GLOWS

R1

293.8

293.8

R2

101.18 k

101.18 k

R LDR

1.1 k

10.05 M

R LED

16 M

Vbattery

8.96 V

8.96 V

V R1

0.01 mV

3.5 V

VR 2

8.924 V

8.26 V

V LED

0.02 V

1.77 V

VLDR

0.13 V

0.69 V

0.04 V

5.36 V

I1

0.086 mA

12.8 mA

I2

0.088 mA

0.082 mA

I3

0.088 mA

0.01 mA

IC

0.002 mA

12.9 mA

IB

0.057 mA

0.081 mA

IE

0.058 mA

13.03 mA

Conclusion

Vbattery V R 2 VLDR

Vbattery V R 2 V LDR

IE I B IC

IE I B IC

I1 I 2 I 3

I1 I 2 I C

V LED

R1

I2 I3 I B

EXPLANATION ON HOW THE CIRCUIT WORKS

Case 1 LED does not glow
The dark sensor circuit explains the principle of operation of LDR. LDR is an active resistor
which is more conductive (less resistance) when get light means more energy. So it sensitive
depends upon the intensity of light falling on it. The resistance of LDR decreases when
intensity of light falling on it increases.
When the circuit is close, the current at R2 will flow through either the LDR or through the
base of transistor. Current will likely flow through both option. But, when there is the light
strike to the LDR, the resistance of LDR will reduce. Since the resistance at LDR is smaller
compared to the base of transistor, the LDR have a smaller potential and most of the current
will likely to flow through LDR compared to the base of transistor. It doesnt mean that there
is no current flow through the base of transistor. There is still current that flow through base
transistor but the current that flow is smaller than V BE value of 0.7 V and not enough to
switch on the transistor. So there is no current flow through the base-emitter junction.
Therefore the transistor is switch off and the LED does not glow.

Case 2 LED glows

The dark sensor circuit explains the principle of operation of LDR. LDR is a device whose
sensitivity depends upon the intensity of light falling on it. The resistance of LDR increases
when intensity of light falling on it decreases. In the dark or in an absence of light, LDR
exhibits a resistance in the range of mega ohms which is a very higher value of resistance.

From the schematic circuit, there are two ways for current at resistor 2,

R2

to flow either

through the base of transistor or through the LDR. When the intensity of light detected by
LDR is lower, its resistance become very high and this make the LDR has a higher potential
compared to the base of transistor. Since the nature behaviour of current is that it will flow to
highest potential to lower potential, the current at resistor 2,
of transistor known as base current,

R2 will flow through the base

I B . In this experiment, there is current flow through

LDR but it is very small value. So, we will consider that there is no current flow through
LDR.
Since the input to the base resistor is greater than V BE of the transistor which is 0.7 V, base
currents will flow and the transistor is on. In this case, transistor acts as a switch because
when the base current that flow into the transistor is higher than the V BE value, the current
will flow through. Otherwise, the transistor will cut off.

RELATED PICTURES

Picture 1. One of the group members soldering the components

Picture 2. Close up of the soldering process

Picture 3. Dark sensor circuit (LED does not glow)

Picture 4. Dark sensor circuit (LED glows)

9

Picture 5. Close up of the dark sensor circuit

Picture 6. Group members

10

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sagar Sapkota. (2010, November 10). Dark sensor making steps-www.buildcuircuit.com.
Retrieved

May

6,

2014

from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls3cf2f0H1Q&index=4&list=WL
Thomas Schwenke. (2012, May 26). Transistor (bipolar) How it works! (Animation).
Retrieved

May

21,

2014

from,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CrcRabTQ0s&list=WL&index=6
Transistor

basics.

Retrieved

May

20,

2014,

from

http://www.physics.unlv.edu/~bill/PHYS483/transbas.pdf
Wasim Khan. (n.d.). Automatic street light control system. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from
http://www.electricaltechnology.org/2013/04/automatic-street-light-control.html

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