Reed switch

electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field

A reed switch is an electrical switch that changes its position via magnetism. It is turned on by bringing a magnet near to the switch. Once the magnet is pulled away from the switch, the reed switch will go back to its original position. If the magnet is an electromagnet, it is a reed relay. The reed switch was invented at Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1936 by W. B. Ellwood.