Electrical component that can break an electrical circuit
This article is about the electrical component. For the video game console, see Nintendo Switch. For other uses, see Switch (disambiguation).
"Toggle button" redirects here. For the graphical widget, see Cycle button.
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.
Electrical installations
Wiring practice by region or country
North American practice
United Kingdom practice
Regulation of electrical installations
BS 7671 UK wiring regulations
IEC 60364 IEC international standard
Canadian Electrical Code (CE Code)
U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC)
Cabling and accessories
AC power plugs and sockets
Cable tray
Electrical conduit
Mineral-insulated copper-clad cable
Multiway switching
Steel wire armoured cable
Ring main unit
Ring circuit
Thermoplastic-sheathed cable
Switching and protection devices
AFCI
ELCB
Electrical busbar system
Circuit breakers
Disconnector
Fuse
Residual-current device
Distribution board
Consumer unit
Electrical switch
Earthing systems
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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.[1][2] 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 when the contacts are separated no current can flow.
Switches are made in many different configurations; they may have multiple sets of contacts controlled by the same knob or actuator, and the contacts may operate simultaneously, sequentially, or alternately. A switch may be operated manually, for example, a light switch or a keyboard button, or may function as a sensing element to sense the position of a machine part, liquid level, pressure, or temperature, such as a thermostat. Many specialized forms exist, such as the toggle switch, rotary switch, mercury switch, push-button switch, reversing switch, relay, and circuit breaker. A common use is control of lighting, where multiple switches may be wired into one circuit to allow convenient control of light fixtures. Switches in high-powered circuits must have special construction to prevent destructive arcing when they are opened.
^"Switch". The Free Dictionary. Farlex. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
^"Switch". The American Heritage Dictionary, College Edition. Houghton Mifflin. 1979. p. 1301.
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