electrical switch

Also known as switch, electric switch

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.]]

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.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: On-Off Switch.jpg

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Commons category: Electric switches
exact match: wordnet-rdf.princeton.edu/wn31/104312552-n
OpenStreetMap tag: power=switch
Commons gallery: Electrical switch

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~28 min read

Article

26 sections

Contents

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

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.