Question: I'm currently learning electronics and right now, I'm trying to use a relays... without success. Here is a picture of my circuit:

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VLzbL.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VLzbL.jpg)

First of all, don't mind the 2 cables on the top right and the relay on the bottom right, they are not used.

So, from what I understood about relays, here are my thoughts about this circuit.

When the button is not pressed, the relay does not receive any tension, so the pins connected to the lightning LED are active, which is why the LED on the top is lightning... That I get...

Now, when I press the button, a 12V DC tension is going inside the relay, so I was kind of hoping that it would make it switch and then the second LED would be lightning but... no...

The relay is an AXICOM IM26, you can find the datasheet of this one in here: <http://www.te.com/commerce/DocumentDelivery/DDEController?Action=showdoc&DocId=Specification+Or+Standard%7F108-98001%7FV%7Fpdf%7FEnglish%7FENG_SS_108-98001_V_IM_0614_v1.pdf%7F4-1462039-1>

However, a friend made me notice that this datasheet "talks about" a switching current of 2/5A but I have trouble to imagine that this small relay really requires that amount of current to switch, especially because it is writing "12 V DC" on it, which, for me, tend to indicate that it switches at 12V. But it would explain why it is not switching when I press the button.

Can someone explain me what is wrong with my circuit ?

Thanks

Answer: 
Your problem is very simple. You are using your breadboard incorrectly. The top pins (pins 1 and 8) are being shorted out by the contact strip. In this case, the breadboard is incompatible with the relay. The spacing between rows of contacts is 0.3 inches, which is a standard DIP IC pin spacing. Your relay, however, has a lateral contact spacing of 0.2 inches, and so cannot straddle the row separation. Since it didn't fit that way, you plugged the relay in to a set of holes that did fit, and that is the source of your trouble. 

To confirm this, set up an LED and resistor to monitor your +12 volts. Unplug the relay and you will see that the LED lights up. Now plug the relay in and the LED will go out. 

With this breadboard you really have no good way to mount the relay. If you have access to a soldering iron you can make extenders for the relay pins with short wires and plug them into the breadboard, but other than that I'm afraid you're out of luck.
AM26 is rated for 12V at 50mW 

It comes in 3 ranges of sensitivity, this being most sensitive.
If coil Power = 50mW @ 12V then current is 50mW/12 ~ 4mA 

This is pretty easy to drive and you might be able to make it click with the 9V battery across the coil with + on pin 1. Although due to hystereis, the guaranteed or MUST SWITCH threshold is 10.20V and the MUST release threshold is 1.20V but it MAY switch in between.

FYI
The lowest contact rating is 2A resistive. So this relay has a net switch gain at max load of 2A/4mA = 500 or you could say a a coil sensitivity of 0.2% or rated current for a 12V coil.