122 THE OFFICIAL RASPBERRY PI BEGINNER'S GUIDE
WARNING!
The Raspberry Pi’s GPIO header is a fun and safe way to experiment with physical computing,
but it has to be treated with care. Be careful not to bend the pins when connecting and
disconnecting hardware. Never connect two pins directly together, accidentally or deliberately,
unless expressly told to do so in a project’s instructions: this is known as a short circuit and,
depending on the pins, can permanently damage the Pi.Electrical components
The GPIO header is only part of what you’ll need to begin working with physical computing;
the other half is made up of electrical components, the devices you’ll control from the GPIO
header. There are millions upon millions of different components available, but most GPIO
projects are made using the following common parts.A breadboard, also known as a solderless breadboard, can make physical computing projects
considerably easier. Rather than having a bunch of separate components which need to be
connected with wires, a breadboard lets you insert components and have them connected
through metal tracks which are hidden beneath its surface. Many breadboards also include
sections for power distribution, making it easier to build your circuits. You don’t need a
breadboard to get started with physical computing, but it certainly helps.