From one of my favorite books, Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold:

7dDVB9Hvgu9qKxP.png

Here, he explains how to setup switches and lightbulbs in two locations with the purpose of communicating by turning the lights on and off according to some previously established protocol/code.

My question: is he oversimplifying - because that isn’t the point of this chapter - which route/path the current would take when both switches are closed? As in:

poKdbhPdpYAALnJ.png

Would the wire, which I awkwardly marked blue, also become charged and/or carry current? Or would there be no current because the cathodes of the two adjacent batteries cancel out any difference/voltage in the “blue wire” that would otherwise cause a current?

  • SuiXi3D@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    3 days ago

    Check out the game Spintronics. It’s kind of expensive for the whole set, but absolutely worth it if you want to play around with circuits without shocking yourself.