Types Of Electric circuit - (English)

Electric circuit conditions-

Two important extreme conditions can occur in a circuit.

Open circuit-

In an open circuit there is an infinitely high resistance in the circuit. This condition can happen in a circuit when the switch is open. Therefore, no current of flow. For example a generator is said to be in an open circuit when the switch is open and running without supplying current to the circuit. A wall socket, too, is an open circuit if the control switch of the wall socket is ‘OFF ‘or 'ON' position provided there is no appliance plugged to the wall socket.

Short circuit-

The other important extreme condition is the short circuit. A short circuit will occur, for example when the two terminals of a cell are joined (Fig 9). A short circuit may also occur if the insulation between the two cores of a cable is defective. The resulting negligible resistance will cause large currents which can become a hazard. A fuse, if provided in the circuit as shown in Fig , could then blow and automatically open the circuit.