circuit

What: "The fluid-pressure, electrical-potential connection has one very important difference. Connecting a battery to close a circuit is like turning on a pump. Before a circuit is closed with say a switch, no current flows because the pump/battery is effectively not turned on. Any time a battery is connected in a closed circuit is "turned on" unlike a water pipe system in which the pump can be turned on and off even if the pipes make a complete circuit."

Writer: Dr. Richard Vawter

LCC:

Where: Reference Link Has Evaporated

Date: Mar 1 2014 5:10 PM

What: "A circuit breaker is like a traffic signal that stays green when traffic is flowing smoothly and turns red, or trips when it isn't. A circuit breaker mechanically "breaks" the flow of electricity through an electrical circuit."

Writer: Not Stated

LCC:

Where:

Date: Oct 4 2013 4:51 PM

What: "A mechanical (or "miniature") circuit breaker is like a resettable fuse. It protects a circuit from currents that are too high."

Writer: Not Stated

LCC:

Where:

Date: Oct 4 2013 4:54 PM

What: "Any more than that being drawn, and the breaker (should) will trip. In theory, you could have circuits totalling 2,000 amps in that panel, but you couldn't be drawing that all at once. It's kind of like a bank--they have a certain amount of cash reserves on hand, but it's only a small percentage of the total on deposit. They're fine as long as not everyone takes everything out of their accounts all at once in cash. Each circuit breaker is like an account--it could be drawn on up to it's max rating, but not all of them could be at the same time. You could run 10 20-amp circuits at near full capacity at once, but if you start up the 11th, you'd trip the main."

Writer: Jason Roehl

LCC:

Where:

Date: Oct 4 2013 4:58 PM

What: "It's fair to think of an electrical socket as being similar to a checkbook. That circuit breaker is like a checking account that is capable of providing a certain amount of power to all the plugs on that circuit (and there may well be more than one!) When you plug something into it, you're drawing on that circuit breaker just like you'd draw money out of the checking account. Putting a power strip on an outlet is like ordering more checks - you can plug more different devices in but you don't get any more total current out of it, just like you can be overdrawn and still have checks left. Popping a circuit breaker is like bouncing that electrical check - you overloaded it."

Writer: VA_Cruiser

LCC:

Where:

Date: Oct 4 2013 5:06 PM