Elenco Snaptricity&reg - Manual (Page 43)

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Another 2-Way Switch Project #33
Educational Corner:
Only a tiny portion of the electricity used in our world
comes from batteries. The rest is produced at enormous
electric power plants, operated by your local electric
company. The electricity from these power plants is
available at each of the electrical outlets in the walls of
your home. The voltage of this electricity is 120V, much
higher than the voltage of the batteries in Snaptricity
® .
The current available is very large, since it must power
products like dishwashers and TVs.
Our lives are much easier and more fun by having such
power available by simply plugging into an electrical
outlet. This amount of electricity is also very dangerous,
and it will kill anyone who abuses it. While accidents
involving electricity are rare, they kill people every year.
Never put anything into an electrical outlet except an
electrical plug.
Battery-powered products are safe,
since small batteries are too weak to hurt people.
The protective plastic around the wires of a lamp plug are
all that protects you from the full power of electricity.
Damaged electrical cords should always be unplugged
and repaired. Remember that electricity travels through
water, so don’t use electric products while taking a bath
(battery-powered products are fine).
Your home has fuses that automatically turn off the
electricity in your home if there is an electrical problem,
such as a short circuit. These fuses prevent electrical
problems in your home from affecting your neighbors, but
they do not protect you.
Electric Paths
Whenever you flip either switch (S5), the lamp (L4) will change (turning on or off).
Operation
This is another common switch arrangement used to control room lights in
homes. It can be used to control many lights at the same time.
Description
Build the circuit as shown.
Assembly
The cost of electricity from
the electric company is
much less than the cost of
electricity from batteries.