30 likes | 112 Views
Circuit Safety. In your home devices are connected in parallel. As more devices are connected to the lines there are more pathways made for current=lowering of the combined resistance and more current occurring in the lines.
E N D
Circuit Safety • In your home devices are connected in parallel. • As more devices are connected to the lines there are more pathways made for current=lowering of the combined resistance and more current occurring in the lines. • When the lines carry more than a safe amount of current they are OVERLOADED.
To prevent overloading fuses are connected in series along the supply line. • This means that the current must pass through the fuse. • The fuse is constructed with a wire ribbon that will heat up and melt at a given current. • If the current is higher than the rating of the material the blown out fuse breaks the circuit. • Make sure to check what caused to blow out. • Circuits may also be protected by circuit breakers, which use magnets or bimetallic strips to open the switch.
If you don’t check it you could create a short circuit because the insulation separating the wires in the circuit wears away and allows the wires to touch. • A short circuit is a circuit whose path has been shortened with less resistance. • A short circuit draws a dangerously large current because it bypasses the normal circuit resistance.