Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Anannya responded to the question: Why do electrical appliances with metallic bodies are connected to the mains through a three-pin plug, whereas an electric bulb can be connected with a two-pin plug?
She wrote: Three-pin connections reduce heating of connecting wires.
- Is her answer correct or incorrect? Justify.
- What is the function of a fuse in a domestic circuit?
Advertisements
Solution
- Anannya’s answer is wrong. Electrical appliances with metallic bodies need an earth wire which provides a low resistance conducting path to the flow of current, in case there is an accidental leakage of current through the conducting body of the appliances.
- An electrical fuse is a safety device that operates to provide protection against the overflow of current in an electrical circuit. An important component of an electrical fuse is a metal wire or strip that melts when excess current flows through it.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
How does the resistance of a wire vary with its area of cross-section?
Name any two effects of electric current.
An electric heater is connected to the 230 V mains supply. A current of 8 A flows through the heater.
(b) How much energy is transferred to the heater each second?
Heat energy is being produced in a resistance in a circuit at the rate of 100 W. The current of 3 A is flowing in the circuit. What must be the value of the resistance?
Heating effect of current is called ______
(a) Observe the diagram given below and state whether the bulb will glow or not when we switch on K.

(b) Is it safe to handle the bulb when the switch is OFF?
(c) Give a reason for your answer in (b).
Can we use the same fuse in a geyser and a television set? Explain.
Paheli took a wire of length 10 cm. Boojho took a wire of 5 cm of the same material and thickness. Both of them connected the wires as shown in the circuit given in the following figure. The current flowing in both the circuits is the same.
- Will the heat produced in both cases be equal? Explain.
- Will the heat produced be the same if the wires taken by them are of equal lengths but of different thickness? Explain.

______ wire is used in the filament of the bulbs.
An electric fuse is a wire made up of a material having ______ melting point.
