Unconventional Switch: Electronics Team 5 - Joseph Donnelly & Max Martinez

 

 

 

 

For our unconventional switch, we decided to utilize the interesting properties of a hot dog skin to utilize as our switch. By connecting the power to the hot dog, and placing the input cable for the LED within the bun, we can activate the LED simply by placing the hot dog in the bun. This is due to the fact that the skin of a hot dog is able to conduct electricity. However, it is not able to do so particularly well, and has around 150 Ohms of resistance. For lowering 5 Volts to the forward voltage of 2 volts for the green LED, this is more than enough, thus entirely eliminating the need for an actual standard resistor. Thus, our switch is able to provide enough resistance on its own. 

While there is not much of a practical purpose for a light switch like this, it can be interesting as a way of representing the consumption of processed foods in modern society. On an individual level this is not significant, but on a grander scale it could be used to demonstrate just how widespread the consumption of severely unhealthy foods is.