How to turn on an Arduino LED in Tinkercad?

Here’s the simplest, step-by-step way to turn on an Arduino LED in Tinkercad, perfect for beginners.

Step 1: Open Tinkercad Circuits

1. Go to Tinkercad
2. Click Circuits
3. Click Create new Circuit

You’ll see an empty workspace.

Step 2: Add Components

From the components panel (right side), drag in:

• Arduino Uno
• LED
• Resistor (220 Ω or 330 Ω is ideal)

Step 3: Wire the LED Correctly

LEDs are polarized, so direction matters.

Correct wiring

• Arduino pin 13 → Resistor
• Resistor → LED long leg (Anode +)
• LED short leg (Cathode −) → Arduino GND

Why the resistor?

It limits current and prevents the LED from burning out.

Step 4: Write the Arduino Code

Click Code → Text and paste this:

void setup() {
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);   // Set pin 13 as output
}

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH); // Turn LED ON
}

This turns the LED on continuously.

Step 5: Start the Simulation

Click Start Simulation

The LED should light up immediately.

Common Beginner Mistakes (and Fixes)

Problem	Fix
LED doesn’t turn on	Flip the LED (polarity matters)
LED very dim	Wrong resistor value (use 220–330 Ω)
Nothing happens	Make sure simulation is running
Wired to wrong pin	Code and wiring pin numbers must match

Bonus: Blink the LED (Optional)

Replace loop() with this:

void loop() {
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
  delay(1000);            // 1 second ON
  digitalWrite(13, LOW);
  delay(1000);            // 1 second OFF
}

Now the LED will blink every second.

Pro Tip (Tinkercad shortcut)

Arduino pin 13 already has a built-in LED.
You can skip all wiring and just run:

void setup() {
  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
}
void loop() {}

The tiny LED on the Arduino board will turn on.