electrical switch
Sign in to savethumb|upright=1.4|Electrical switches. Top, left to right: circuit breaker, mercury switch, wafer switch, [[DIP switch, surface mount switch, reed switch. Bottom, left to right: wall switch (U.S. style), miniature toggle switch, in‑line switch, push-button switch, rocker switch, microswitch.]]
AI overview
An electrical switch is a device that controls the flow of electric current by opening or closing a circuit, and they come in many different types and sizes depending on their intended use. Switches matter because they allow us to safely turn electrical devices on and off, and to control when electricity flows through our homes, appliances, and equipment.
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Article
26 sectionsContents
- Description
- Contacts
- Contact terminology
- Contact bounce
- Bounce
- Debouncing
- Arcs and quenching
- Power switching
- Inductive loads
- Incandescent loads
- Wetting current
- Actuator
- Biased switches
- Rotary switch
- Toggle switch
- Special types
- Mercury tilt switch
- Knife switch
- Reversing switch
- Slide switches
- Electronic switches
- Other switches
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
thumb|upright=1.4|Electrical switches. Top, left to right: circuit breaker, mercury switch, wafer switch, [[DIP switch, surface mount switch, reed switch. Bottom, left to right: wall switch (U.S. style), miniature toggle switch, in‑line switch, push-button switch, rocker switch, microswitch.]]
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of switch is an electromechanical device consisting of one or more sets of movable electrical contacts connected to external circuits. When a pair of contacts is touching, current can pass between them, while the contacts are separated no current can flow.