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A switch is an electrical component in electrical engineering that may detach or join the conducting channel in an electrical circuit, interrupting or directing the electric current from one conductor to another. An electromechanical switch, which consists of one or more sets of moveable electrical contacts coupled to external circuits, is the most common form of switch. When two contacts are in contact, current can flow between them, but when they are separated, no current can flow.

Switches come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with numerous sets of contacts operated by the same knob or actuator with the contacts operating simultaneously, sequentially, or alternately. A switch can be actuated manually, such as a light switch or a keyboard button, or it can serve as a sensor device, such as a thermostat, to detect the location of a machine part, liquid level, pressure, or temperature. Toggle switches, rotary switches, mercury switches, push-button switches, reversing switches, relays, and circuit breakers are just a few examples. Multiple switches may be linked into one circuit to provide convenient control of light fixtures, which is a typical use. Switches in high-powered circuits must be built specifically to avoid damaging arcing when they are opened.

A manually controlled electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts that are coupled to external circuits is the most common type of switch. Each pair of contacts can be in one of two states: “closed,” which means the contacts are close together and electricity can flow between them, or “open,” which means the contacts are apart and the switch is not conducting. The mechanism that triggers the transition between these two states (open or closed) is generally either a “alternative action” (flip the switch for continuous “on” or “off”) or a “momentary” (push for “on” and release for “off”) type (there are more sorts of actions).

A switch can be used by a human to send a control signal to a system, such as a computer keyboard button, or to regulate the flow of electricity in a circuit, such as a light switch. Automatically controlled switches can be used to regulate the operations of machines, such as indicating when a garage door has fully opened or when a machine tool is ready to take another workpiece. Process variables such as pressure, temperature, flow, current, voltage, and force can operate switches, which function as sensors in a process and can be utilized to autonomously regulate a system. A thermostat, for example, is a temperature-controlled switch that regulates the heating process. A relay is a switch that is controlled by another electrical circuit. A motor driving mechanism can be used to control large switches from a distance. Some switches are used to disconnect electric power from a system, giving a visible point of separation that may be padlocked if necessary to avoid inadvertent machine activation or electric shock during maintenance.

When closed, an ideal switch would have no voltage drop and no voltage or current rating limitations. During state changes, it would have no rise or fall time, and it would change state without “bouncing” between on and off positions.

Practical switches fall short of this ideal, exhibiting contact resistance, restrictions on the current and voltage they can take, finite switching time, and so on due to roughness and oxide layers. The ideal switch is frequently employed in circuit analysis because it considerably simplifies the set of equations to be solved, although it might result in a less accurate result. In the design of large networks of switches, such as those used in telephone exchanges, the impact of non-ideal features must be treated theoretically.

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