Electrical Switches for Dummies

simple electrical circuit

We've noted, to our continuing dismay, that many less technologically savvy freelancers are not shy about attempting to discuss science and technology in their content. Nowhere, in our experience anyway, is this more likely than among the many contributors to eHow.com who left school with literature and "communications" degrees. You can identify their work by their omission of or mangling of the more "science-y" terminology. Heck sometimes they even mangle the simple stuff. Take, for example, the facts that eHowian Jacquelyn Jeanty muffed on her Hunker.com post, "How Does an Electrical Switch Work?"

We'll give Jeanty her due, she got the answer (more or less) right:

"An on/off toggle circuit breaks the current when it's in the "off" position. When it's in the "on" position, the current--or loop--is completed."

We'd quibble with some of Jackie-J's terminology – for instance, a toggle switch interrupts the circuit, not "breaks" it – but at its heart, the statement is basically correct. It's while she's getting to that point that Jeanty's ignorance of science and technology rears its head. We're remembering turns of phrase like,

• "Electricity is an amazing and abundant power source. Its process takes place on a molecular level where atoms and electrons live." — Electricity is not a power source; the generator that creates the electricity is a power source. And while we're at it, the process takes place at the atomic level, not the "molecular level."
• "A load is the device that receives the power, like a lamp, or a television." — Not really: the load is the current the device draws, not the device itself. Subtle, but important.
• "Power sources must have a positive and a negative terminal. The negative terminal is wired to connect with the load, and drives the electrons through the circuit. The load receives the current, then sends it back to the power source through the positive terminal." — "Sends it back"? Is she kidding? No, unfortunately, she is not.

• "The power source in a home is the fuse box. " — No, it's not: the power source is outside the home, at a generating plant.
• "A special type of cable called Romex is used to connect the power source to the switch..." — We had no idea Romex® was so special...
• "The hot wire connects to one of the terminals on the switch, and to the outlet that powers the load." — Excuse us while we puke up some electrons.
• "The ground wire connects to the outlet." — Oh, Jacquelyn, it's so much more important than just connecting "to the outlet."

At this point, we gave up. Jeanty's notion of how electricity is generated and how electrical circuits function is, to be blunt, sophomoric. Freshmanic, in fact. Small wonder she's collecting another Dumbass of the Day award!

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