Mains Electricity Flashcards
What is the live wire
Provides the pathway for the electrical energy which alternates positively and negatively causing an ALTERNATING CURRENT
What are the sizes of fuses that can be used
3a 5a and 13a
What does the neutral wire do
It completes the circuit
What is the purpose of the earthing wire and how does it work
Earthing wire usually has no current flowing through it and protects you if an appliance develops a fault eg if the live wire becomes frayed and comes into contact with the casing the earthing wire stops the current flowing through you to te earth, so it stops you from getting an electric shock
How else can appliances protect people from beig shocked other than using an earthing wire
They can insulate all electrical parts of he appliance with plastic, this is called double insulation
Explain how fuses work
Current inc
Resistance inc
Fuse gets v hit and melts (blows)
This shuts the circuit off
What is another form of protection other than a fuse
Trip switch or circuit breaker
If current inc too much, switch opens and breaks circuit, you can fix the fault in the circuit and then reset the switch by pressing a button, no need for replacing like a fuse
What happens when the switch is included INto not just the live wire, but the neutral wire aswell
The appliance is not isolated, so can cause an electric shock
