Question

What is the purpose of using an electric switch? Name some electrical gadgets that have switches built into them.

Answer 1

Hint: Consider an electrical device we use in our day to day life. We can switch ON or Switch OFF the device according to our use. For example, we can turn ON a television when we want to see something and we can turn OFF the television when we don’t want to see it.

Complete answer:
An electrical switch is a device which can break the flow of current through the circuit. The switch can interrupt the flow of electrons through the circuit which stops the flow of current through the circuit.
We can define the electric switch as a binary device: the switch is either ON (closed) or OFF (open). When the switch is ON, the circuit is complete and current flows through the circuit. When the switch is OFF, the circuit breaks and current does not flow through the circuit.

In the normal switches, with the help of the mechanism of the switches, two different conductors are brought in contact with each other. When the switch is ON, the conductors are in contact with each other and current will flow through the circuit. When the switch is OFF, the conductors will move away from each other. So, the electrons cannot flow from one end of the switch to the other end and current flow will stop.

Most of the electrical gadgets we use in our day to day life have switches in it. Computers, television, table fans etc are the electrical gadgets where we have built in switches. In lights, fans etc we have remote switches to control them.

Note:
Switches can be mechanical or electronic types. A mechanical switch is activated physically, which can be pressing, releasing or touching the switch. An electronic switch does not require any physical contact with the switch. The electronic switches are activated by semiconductors.