Arcing and sparks

Electrical · System Grounding · printed page 92 (PDF page 93)

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Book index entries

Arcing and Sparks – Electrical Electric Arcing and Sparks Electric System – Grounding System Grounding – Electrical

Text in the illustration

even though air is a good insulator, a spark will jump from a hot wire to a potential ground if the gap is small enough
this arcing can generate significant heat and lead to fires
black (hot) wire
ground wire
white (neutral) wire
nick in wire or excessive bending creates gap in wire

Generated explanation

The illustration shows a duplex receptacle connected to black hot, white neutral, and ground wires emerging from a sheathed cable. A gap is depicted in the hot wire near its connection to the receptacle, with sparks indicating electrical arcing. The callout attributes the gap to a nick in the wire or excessive bending. Explanatory text notes that sparks can jump from a hot wire to a potential ground across a sufficiently small air gap, generating significant heat and potentially causing fires.