What's the difference between 開閉器 and スイッチ?


開閉器 seems uncommon, maybe it's technical. I suppose they both mean "switch",
like in "light switch", but スイッチ also means "change", "shift". As "light
switch", are they interchangeable?




Wikipedia says:

> ### [開閉器](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%96%8B%E9%96%89%E5%99%A8)
>
> 慣用的には、電力回路・電力機器に用いる大型のものを開閉器、電子機器に用いる小型のものをスイッチと呼ぶことが多い。

Today, ordinary people may not even understand the word 開閉器. Something like
the following picture seems to be still called 開閉器 by professional
constructors and engineers, but small ones that can be handled with fingers
are always called スイッチ even by engineers.

[![開閉器](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nsIF.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nsIF.png)

Electronically-controlled switches (e.g., in a CPU) are also always called
スイッチ. Unless you have to read technical documents on electrical engineering or
pre-war documents, you can forget the term 開閉器.




Wikipedia says:

> ### [開閉器](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%96%8B%E9%96%89%E5%99%A8)
>
> 慣用的には、電力回路・電力機器に用いる大型のものを開閉器、電子機器に用いる小型のものをスイッチと呼ぶことが多い。

Today, ordinary people may not even understand the word 開閉器. Something like
the following picture seems to be still called 開閉器 by professional
constructors and engineers, but small ones that can be handled with fingers
are always called スイッチ even by engineers.

[![開閉器](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nsIF.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nsIF.png)

Electronically-controlled switches (e.g., in a CPU) are also always called
スイッチ. Unless you have to read technical documents on electrical engineering or
pre-war documents, you can forget the term 開閉器.

