Day 3 - Switches and Relays

• This lab explored how switches and relay can allow or restrict the passage of electricity in a system.

1. A switch connects, severs, or diverts the flow of electricity. This pictured, borrowed from the lab handout, describes how a switch works. Furthermore, here is a schematic of the assembly conducted in the lab. Note that there are two switches in this schematic.  This is the real life assembly of this schematic and here is a video. .
2. In the next part of the lab we assembled a similar system; however, instead of a switch we used a relay. Here is a basic schematic of a relay.  In this schematic there are 4 active areas of interest. The very bottom area, where the coil is located influences the switch in the coil (2nd to top area). When the coil is activated a magnetic force makes the switch move like a lever. To further understand the relay we utilized a schematic that involved the relay.  An interesting concept of the relay in this schematic is that when there is no power from the area that says dc the switch remains toward the bottom; therefore, the led more towards the right will activate. On the other hand, when there is power run through the relay the left led will be activated. Here is how we assembled this schematic.