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Electric Current and Resistance
Electricity in the World
Physics Textbooks Boundless Physics Electric Current and Resistance Electricity in the World
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Humans and Electric Hazards

Short Circuit

Short Circuit

A short circuit is an undesired low-resistance path across a voltage source. (a) Worn insulation on the wires of a toaster allows them to come into contact with a low resistance r. Since P = V2/r, thermal power is created so rapidly that the cord melts or burns. (b) A schematic of the short circuit.

Source

    Boundless vets and curates high-quality, openly licensed content from around the Internet. This particular resource used the following sources:

    "OpenStax College, College Physics. November 12, 2012."
    http://cnx.org/content/m42350/latest/?collection=col11406/1.7 OpenStax CNX CC BY 3.0.

Related Terms

  • fibrillation
  • thermal hazard
  • shock hazard
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