LED set-up for 1/12 scaled model display

[mriordan]

I am currently making a scaled model display that uses 16 LED in a series and I would like to wire it up to be on one switch, so I need a single power supply to connect them to. I have various different colors that I would like to use in the display. I have 6 red LED (2.0v), 6 white LED (3.2v), and 4 yellow (2.0v) so a total of 36 volts. I would like to know what resistor or resistors I need to use for my power supply which is 48v (it is the closest I could find to 36v). Please provide me with any insight that could help this process as I have been tinkering with it for about a week with only burn marks on my table to show for it (when I added the wrong resistor types).

Thank you for anyone's quick reply.

 

[Avo Mk8]

I am currently making a scaled model display that uses 16 LED in a series and I would like to wire it up to be on one switch, so I need a single power supply to connect them to. I have various different colors that I would like to use in the display. I have 6 red LED (2.0v), 6 white LED (3.2v), and 4 yellow (2.0v) so a total of 36 volts. I would like to know what resistor or resistors I need to use for my power supply which is 48v (it is the closest I could find to 36v). Please provide me with any insight that could help this process as I have been tinkering with it for about a week with only burn marks on my table to show for it (when I added the wrong resistor types).

Thank you for anyone's quick reply.

Need to know what current it's safe to run the led's at. Obviously with them all in series it will be the same for all colours, so if one colour prefers a lower current, use that!
Once you have decided the current (I), use Ohms law to work out your resistor.
You need to drop 12V
R = V/I Therefore R = 12 divided by your current.

Say you run them at 12mA, that would mean a resistor of 1k ohm.

You should check the wattage rating of the resistor which is I^2 x R, so for the above would be .012 x .012 x 1000 = .144W

But then (a) you may know all this and (b) I might have got something wrong as it's past beer o'clock.