short circuit

[donr]

what is the origin of short circuit?

[Will__]

It's from electronics. If a connection is made between two parts of a ciruit that shouldn't be connected, the connection is shorter than it was before. The circuit doesn't work anymore, perhaps because some part of the electronics has been bypassed.

Hence the circuit has 'shorted' out and usually breaks or burns.

[mattie]

Electricity will take the path of least resistance. If a component becomes faulty, it can have two fault states, open (no current will flow) or short (little or no resistance). In the case of a short, the current will bypass the full circuit if there is a path with lower resistance,lower resistance = extra current, this is what causes blown fuses.

[Thunderchild]

current will always take the shorter path intended not shorter in lenght but electrical resistance. this statement is actually almost correct and is true for general short circuits: if electrical current has alternative paths it will flow through them all, the shorter the path (lower the resistance9 the more current flows. in the case of a short circuit the corrct path is of much higher resistance so a negligeble amount of current takes the right path and the magiority the short path that is incorect and in most cases a dangerous one.

the origin of a short circuit is ahem often due to incorect installations: for example at work (a printers where about 10 KW flow through the main switch box) the fellow that worked there before me wired the main switch box and used wires that were two small and so they overheated. what happend ? because the wires where close together the rubber sleevs melted and the live and neutral wires came into direct contact causing A REAL short circuit. infact the curent instaed of going through the system and machines was taking an incomparablely shorter path by going direct from L to N.

many people also do not realise how easy water conducts main current and badly done outdoor systems often cause short circuits. anothr cause is sloppy work where over time and maybe movement (like a homemade extension) cause even a small strand of wire to cause a short circuit.

also often the over use of exstensions or multi sokets that r overloaded cause overheating that lead to a shortcircuit because the insulating melts and causes a short circuit.

sorry this as long but in my short time (7 yrs i am now 21) I have seen some crazy things and we do not realise how many people r actually killed or injured in home accidents and electricity while a friend is dangerous when not handled correctly !

[elena21]

Thunderchild...there is nothing wronf with being 21!! :)

It's a film... "Johnny 5"!!