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The Switch

An animation of a switch opening and closing a circuit to let the electricity flow into the light bulb.
An animation of a switch opening and closing a circuit to let the electricity flow into the light bulb.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license
There are lots of different kinds of switch, some even have lights in them!
There are lots of different kinds of switch, some even have lights in them!
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license

This is like a drawbridge for your circuit.

Its job is to:

Open or close the circuit to turn it on or off.

💡 Fun Facts

  • When the switch is 'closed' (or on), the bridge is down, and the electricity can flow across, completing the circuit.
  • When the switch is 'open' (or off), the bridge is up, creating a gap. The electricity cannot jump the gap, so the circuit is broken and the bulb turns off.
  • Your light switch on the wall is just a bigger, safer version of the switches we use in class.