I'm teaching 8th graders about circuits, and we recently explored some fun with AND and OR gates using the PhET circuit constructor simulator. They even managed to get a NOT gate to work! While this simulator is suitable for basics like switches, lights, and resistors, I wanted to challenge them by creating a half adder in the simulator after watching a Numberphile video where they built one with dominos. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to get the XOR gate to work using simple SPST switches. Is there a method to achieve this, or am I out of luck? I couldn't find any information online, and my attempts to ask ChatGPT didn't yield a complete answer either. Any insights?
1 Answer
Using just a single SPST switch, it’s likely impossible to get a half adder working. You might look into more complex switch options like a 4PDT or something similar. Starting with the truth table and working backwards could provide some clarity on how the logic needs to flow!