Chapter 35, Problem 14A

Why will too many electric devices operating at one time often blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker?

To determine

The reason for the blow of fuse or trip due to many electric device at one time in electric circuit.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The fuse or circuit breaker is the wire or device of very low resistance and low melting point. It can only allow a certain amount of flow of current and it blows out due to more current than rated current in the fuse wire. If the fuse wire blows out, then the circuit becomes open circuit. The current cannot flow through open circuit.

If too many electric devices operates one at a time, then current of the circuit increases due to decreases in the resistance.

If the current through the fuse wire become more than the rated current, then the temperature of fuse wire increases and it melts and stops to flow the current.

When a high amount of current flows through a circuit breaker, it heats up and the switches are open due to magnetic mechanism.

Conclusion:

The blow of fuse or trip of circuit breaker by addition of too many electric device at one time in electric circuits occurs due to increase in the current through the fuse or circuit breaker.