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A toggle switch is a class of electrical switches that are actuated by a mechanical lever
Lever

In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or wiktionary:pivot point to multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object....
, handle, or rocking mechanism.

Toggle switches are available in many different styles and sizes, and are used in countless applications. Many are designed to provide, e.g., the simultaneous actuation of multiple sets of electrical
Electricity

Electricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena such as lightning and static electricity, but in addition, less familiar concepts such as the electromagnetic field and electromagnetic induction....
 contact
Contact

Contact means to touch physically or to communicate with.Contact may also refer to one of the things below....
s, or the control of large amounts of electric current
Electric current

Electric current is the flow of electric charge. The electric charge may be either electrons or ions.The International System of Units unit of electric current intensity is the ampere....
 or mains
Mains electricity

Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. The term is not often used in the United States and Canada. In the US, mains power is referred to by a variety of formal and informal names, including household power, household electricity, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC p...
 voltages.

The word "toggle" is a reference to a kind of mechanism or joint consisting of two arms, which are almost in line with each other, connected with an elbow-like pivot.






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Togglesw2
A toggle switch is a class of electrical switches that are actuated by a mechanical lever
Lever

In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or wiktionary:pivot point to multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object....
, handle, or rocking mechanism.

Toggle switches are available in many different styles and sizes, and are used in countless applications. Many are designed to provide, e.g., the simultaneous actuation of multiple sets of electrical
Electricity

Electricity is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena such as lightning and static electricity, but in addition, less familiar concepts such as the electromagnetic field and electromagnetic induction....
 contact
Contact

Contact means to touch physically or to communicate with.Contact may also refer to one of the things below....
s, or the control of large amounts of electric current
Electric current

Electric current is the flow of electric charge. The electric charge may be either electrons or ions.The International System of Units unit of electric current intensity is the ampere....
 or mains
Mains electricity

Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. The term is not often used in the United States and Canada. In the US, mains power is referred to by a variety of formal and informal names, including household power, household electricity, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC p...
 voltages.

The word "toggle" is a reference to a kind of mechanism or joint consisting of two arms, which are almost in line with each other, connected with an elbow-like pivot. In the phrase "toggle switch" it specifically refers to one kind of mechanism that can be used to implement a positive "snap-action." However, the word "toggle switch" has come to mean any kind of switch with a short handle and a positive snap-action, whether it actually contains a toggle mechanism or not. In electronics, the word "toggle" has come to mean circuits that embody an electronic analog of a mechanical snap-action. That is, bistable switching circuits are sometimes called "toggles." In particular, the word can be used for a toggle flip-flop
Flip-flop (electronics)

In digital circuits, a flip-flop is a term referring to an electronic circuit that has two stable states and thereby is capable of serving as one bit of computer storage....
, a circuit in which an impulse causes a transition from whichever state it is in to the alternate state. By further extension, in software, the act of switching from one to the other of two states can be called "toggling", as in "He toggled the switch, and the computer's lights blinked".

When used in computer programs, the term "toggle" is used to indicate turning a feature on, or off, typically by pressing one key to turn the feature on, and then pressing the same key again, to turn the feature off.

The advantages of such a switch are quite simple. The light is quite handy to turn on and off. But the disadvantages are that the lever which protrudes form the actual switch may become stiff and then harder to use.