Force and motion
Force and Motion
Switch seems to work backwards
The video above shows one way a switch can be wired incorrectly into a circuit. The switch seems to work backwards: the light comes on when the switch is open, and turns off when the switch is closed. Another sign of trouble may be that the battery gets warm when the switch is closed. The reason is that the switch is connected across the battery – in parallel – rather than in a place where it can interrupt the circuit – in series. A switch in parallel will connect the battery to itelsf when closed, creating a short circuit and causing the battery to heat up and drain quickly. The diagrams below show both the incorrect and correct ways of wiring a switch.
Switch wired in parallel –INCORRECT!
NOTE: The wires represented by dashed lines are crossing each other without touching.
Switch wired in series – CORRECT!
