How many ways can I flip switch positions to make the motor stop

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There is a total of 16 configurations and only a few of them will let the engine turn.

Edit: Hmm, I missed the title of your thread before.
But there are more configurations than you mentioned.
 
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Hi FP :smile: !
Perhaps it would be a good starting point to determine which positions will allow the motor to start.
(also ILS alluded to this)
Once you have that, it should be clearer which positions will shut the motor off.

There is a total of 16 configurations and only a few of them will let the engine turn.
hmmm i wonder where ILS got 16 configs? [hint 2 positions, 4 switches]. Perhaps a useful way to represent this problem is with a binary table with switch & position as inputs and output: "motor ON/OFF"
 
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There is a total of 16 configurations and only a few of them will let the engine turn.

Edit: Hmm, I missed the title of your thread before.
But there are more configurations than you mentioned.

Oops, you're right!

hmmm i wonder where ILS got 16 configs? [hint 2 positions, 4 switches]. Perhaps a useful way to represent this problem is with a binary table with switch & position as inputs and output: "motor ON/OFF"

Fair enough

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/5904/motormode.jpg

How's that? :)
 
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Femme_physics said:
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/5904/motormode.jpg

How's that?

I like the table. :)

Let's take a look at the first line where you say the motor is turning.
That would be with switches 1,2,3 in position 1, and with switch 4 in position 2.

Can you say how the currents will flow?
 
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Nice drawing. :)

How about the current through switch 1?
Which current will be bigger, the current through switch 1 or the current through switch 2?
 
Well the current through the first switch meets no resistance, therefor it will be much higher. Hmm. Short circuit eh?
 
Yep. Short circuit.
I don't think there will be current left for the motor to turn. ;)

(Poor carton board men that are frying.)
 
I agree. :) Is that the only blunder I made?
 
Well, I haven't checked out all your switch-combinations.
How many will be left with the motor turning if you remove all short circuits?
 
Good Job! :smile:
As you are learning in solving such questions, analyzing how a circuit functions is most important.
Once you've determined that, the rest follows more easily.

Your encoding is easy enough to follow. Another way to encode your table is in standard binary.
for example: on the input side, position1=0, position2=1. output side: motor off = 0, motor on = 1.
 
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