Fuses and breakers

Electrical · The Basics of Electricity · printed page 85 (PDF page 86)

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Book index entries

Breakers and Fuses Fuses and Breakers

Text in the illustration

fuses are designed to protect the wire from overheating in the case of a short circuit (or overload)
a metal link in the fuse melts (shutting down the circuit) if a current greater than the fuse rating tries to flow through the circuit
neutral wire
wires crossed (short circuit)
hot wire
15 AMP FUSE
fuse/breaker size must match wire size
for example, a 15 amp fuse is used with 14 gauge copper wire

Generated explanation

The diagram shows a hot wire passing through a 15-amp fuse and contacting a neutral wire at an exposed crossing marked as a short circuit. Lightning-shaped symbols emphasize the fault, and the neutral wire terminates at a ground symbol. Annotations explain that a fuse's metal link melts when current exceeds its rating, opening the circuit to protect wiring from overheating during a short circuit or overload. The illustration states that fuse or breaker size must match wire size, giving a 15-amp fuse with 14-gauge copper wire as an example.