Simple Flashlight
This circuit is live in Circuit Canvas. Open it to explore every part and wire, or make your own copy to change values, swap parts and build your own version. Free, right in your browser.
This shows a very simple flashlight project with a LED and a resistor. The switch controls if the light is on or off. Build this into a small casing, and you have yourself a homebuilt flashlight.
You can use any battery voltage for this, as long as you adjust the resistor value to match.
Simple Flashlight Schematic
The switch opens or closes the circuit, making current flow or not. The value of the resistor sets the current in the circuit. A 470-ohm resistor will give a current of around 10mA for most LEDs. If you use bright white LEDs, you might want more current and will need to use a lower resistance value.
Simple Flashlight Parts List
How to Build the Simple Flashlight
Make it your own
Every circuit here is a live project in Circuit Canvas, not just a picture. Copy this one and change a value, swap a part or move it to a stripboard: the schematic and the breadboard layout are linked, so a part added to one appears in the other.
Or start from a blank canvas and draw your own circuit, with thousands of ready-made parts.