How to Make a Light out of Batteries

Co-authored by Ralph Childers

Last Updated: November 1, 2022

Creating a light using batteries is quick and easy. It is a great way to make a handy flashlight, or just to get temporary light in a power outage. Correctly connecting your batteries and light creates a circuit that powers the light. Electrons flow out of the negative end of your battery, through the light, and then back into the positive side of your battery causing your light to stay lit.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using a Standard Light Bulb

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1
Gather your supplies. You can use a light bulb or small light fixture for this. Also, electrical tape is preferred, but any other kind will work. ^{[1]
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- D battery
- Insulated wire cable (2 3” pieces)
- Light bulb
- Electrical tape
- Scissors
Using your scissors, strip 1/2” of insulation off of each end of your wire. Do this on both pieces of wire. Be careful not to cut through the wire.

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Tape one end of your wire onto the negative side of your D battery. ^{[2]
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Now that you have a wire attached to your battery, take that same wire and touch the other end to the side of the bulb along the metal threading. Take the second piece of wire and touch it to the bottom metal tip of the bulb. Tape these pieces down so they don’t move around.
Take your second piece of cable (with the exposed end) and attach it to the other side of your battery. This should be the positive side of the battery. When you touch the wire to the surface of your battery, it should light up. This is because the electrons flow out of the negative terminal of your battery, through the bulb, and back into the positive side. This creates a circuit that causes the bulb to light up. ^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using LED Diode

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1
Gather your supplies. This flashlight is very easy to make and only uses a couple of things. Make sure to use AA batteries, because any higher voltage will cause the wires to get hot very quickly and your flashlight will be dangerous.
- Insulated wire cable (1” and 3”)
- 2 AA batteries
- LED diode
- Electrical tape
- Scissors
- Paper sheet
Line up your 2 AA batteries so that the positive end of one is attached to the negative end of the other. Using your electrical tape, connect the batteries. Make sure that the connection is strong so that you don't have to push the batteries together with your hands to create the charge.
Using your scissors, cut the insulation away from the ends of your electric cable. This will expose the wire. Be careful not to cut through the wire. Do this to both pieces of cable.
Using the smaller piece of cable, wrap the wire tightly around the one side of your LEO diode. Do the same with the larger piece of cable on the other side. Tape these together. ^{[4]
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5
Test your light. Using the shorter cable, place the exposed wire onto the negative side of the battery. While holding the wire directly on the battery, place the exposed wire from the longer cable onto the positive side of the battery.
- If your LEO diode doesn't light up, switch the cables so that the shorter one is on the positive side and the longer one is on the negative side.
Once you've discovered which charge your shorter wire needs to attach to, fray the end of it and tape it to the proper side of the battery. Fraying the wire will ensure connection because it will cover more surface area of the battery.
Cut your paper sheet down to the length of your batteries. Roll the sheet over them (keeping the wires inside) to form a small flashlight. Your longer wire shouldn't be taped down yet. Tape the paper over your batteries with the light at one end and the end of the longer wire and exposed side of the battery on the other. ^{[5]
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Now, you can hold the end of the wire on the exposed side of the battery. This will cause your light to turn on. You can either hold it, or you can tape it down to keep the light on.