Which of the following items is used in the household wirings to preve

Which of the following items is used in the household wirings to prevent accidental fire in case of short circuit ?

Insulated wire

Plastic switches

Non-metallic coatings on conducting wires

Electric fuse

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-2 – 2016

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The correct answer is D. An electric fuse is a safety device specifically designed to protect electrical circuits and prevent fires caused by overcurrents, such as those resulting from a short circuit.

In case of a short circuit or overload, an excessively large current flows through the circuit. This large current causes the fuse wire, which has a specific melting point and resistance, to heat up rapidly and melt. When the fuse wire melts, it breaks the circuit, interrupting the flow of current and preventing overheating of wires and appliances, thus preventing accidental fire.

Insulated wires (A) and non-metallic coatings (C) are crucial for preventing *initial* contact between conductors that could cause a short circuit, but they do not protect against the consequences *after* a short circuit or overload has occurred. Plastic switches (B) are used for safely opening and closing circuits under normal operating conditions, not for overcurrent protection. Modern installations often use Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) or Residual Current Devices (RCDs) in addition to or instead of traditional fuses for overcurrent and fault protection.

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