Which phrase describes the two common pushbutton operators used in motor control?

• A. Push and pull
• B. Toggle and hold
• C. Momentary and maintained
• D. Release and latch

Answer: (C)

Pushbutton operators in motor control are described by how they behave after you press them. The two most common types are momentary, which only makes its contact while you’re pressing the button and returns to its normal state as soon as you release, and maintained, which latches in the actuated state after a press and stays there until it’s reset or pressed again to release. This distinction matters because it matches how we want controls to behave: momentary buttons are ideal for actions that should be temporary, like starting a circuit only while you hold the button, while maintained buttons are used when you want the device to stay on until you deliberately turn it off. The other phrases describe different ideas (physical push vs pull, or a toggle/latch concept) and don’t capture the standard way engineers categorize pushbutton behavior.