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what is short circuit and open circuit

by Myriam Steuber Sr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Top 5 Differences: Difference between Open and Short Circuit

  • Current passing through an open circuit is zero, while current through the short circuit is infinite.
  • An open circuit posses infinite resistance, while a short circuit posses zero resistance.
  • The voltage through the short circuit is zero, while voltage through the short circuit in maximum.

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The open circuit voltage is the voltage difference measured between two terminals when no current is drawn or supplied. The short circuit current is the current that flows when the terminals are forced to have zero voltage difference.

Full Answer

What is the difference in an open circuit and a short circuit?

Top 5 Differences: Difference between Open and Short Circuit Current passing through an open circuit is zero, while current through the short circuit is infinite. An open circuit posses infinite resistance, while a short circuit posses zero resistance. The voltage through the short circuit is zero, while voltage through the short circuit in maximum. More items...

How is an open circuit different from a short circuit?

Top 5 Differences: Difference between Open and Short Circuit

  • Current passing through an open circuit is zero, while current through the short circuit is infinite.
  • An open circuit posses infinite resistance, while a short circuit posses zero resistance.
  • The voltage through the short circuit is zero, while voltage through the short circuit in maximum.

More items...

What is the meaning of short and open circuit?

Open and short circuit provide two useful points on the V-I curve. In particular: The open circuit voltage is the voltage difference measured between two terminals when no current is drawn or supplied. The short circuit current is the current that flows when the terminals are forced to have zero voltage difference.

What are open, closed, and short circuits?

Closed, Open, and Short Circuits A closed circuit allows current to flow, but an open circuit leaves electrons stranded. A switch in the open position disconnects the light bulb from the battery, creating an open circuit. Closing the switch completes the conductive path in this flashlight, allowing electrons to flow.

What is a short circuit circuit?

Short circuits are when an electrical flow completes its journey through a shorter distance than originally intended. This can occur in wiring systems where some of the wires are damaged or have been loosened over time.

Is short circuit same as open circuit?

Open Circuit vs Short Circuit In open-circuit conditions, the current passing through the circuit is zero. While in the case of short circuit conditions, a very high amount (infinite) of current passing through the circuit. The resistance between two terminals of open circuits is infinite.

What is short circuit and closed circuit?

A short circuit is, for instance, connecting a wire directly between the poles of a battery or power supply. Whereas a closed circuit is just a "normal" load between the poles.

What is a open circuit example?

The definition of an open circuit is a broken path for an electrical current due to an open switch or frayed wire. An example of an open circuit is a string of electric lights that don't work if one bulb goes out.

What means open circuit?

Definition of open circuit : an electrical circuit in which the continuity is broken so that current does not flow.

What is closed circuit?

Definition of closed-circuit : used in, shown on, or being a television installation in which the signal is transmitted by wire to a limited number of receivers.

What causes an open circuit?

In most situations, an open circuit is caused by a conductor breaking. The current cannot flow if the circuit is not closed and there is a break at any place in the loop. This results in an open circuit. Consider a bulb that is powered by a battery and controlled by a switch.

What is node and Junction?

A point at which two or more elements are joints together is called node. While a point where three or more branches meet together is called a junction. In the below figure we can say that points a,b,c,d,e and f are nodes and point c & f are called junction.

Does open circuit have voltage?

When an open circuit condition is created in any device or circuit, the difference of electric potential between the two terminals is known as the open-circuit voltage. In network analysis, the open-circuit voltage is also known as the Thevenin Voltage.

What is short circuit voltage?

A short circuit implies that the two terminals are externally connected with resistance R=0 , the same as an ideal wire. This means there is zero voltage difference for any current value.

Does current flow in open circuit?

In the open circuit the current can not flow from one end of the power source to the other. Because of this there is no current flow, and therefore the light does not turn on.

What is an open circuit?

An open circuit is defined as an electric circuit in which current does not flow. Current can only flow in a circuit if it finds a continuous path—known as a “closed circuit”. If there’s a break anywhere in the circuit, you have an open circuit, and current can not flow. In an open circuit, the two terminals are disconnected.

Why is an open circuit considered an open circuit?

In most cases, open circuit causes due to breaking in a conductor. If the circuit is not closed and there is a break in anywhere in the loop, the current cannot flow. It creates an open circuit condition. For a simple example, let’s a bulb charged with a battery through a switch.

What is the behavior of a resistor?

The behavior of a resistor is given by Ohm’s law. The voltage across the resistor is proportional to the current. Hence, the equation of ohm’s law is, In an open circuit condition, the current is zero (I = 0). Hence, for any value of voltage, the resistance is infinite in open circuit conditions.

What is the voltage across terminals of an open circuit?

The voltage across terminals of the open circuit is equal to supply voltage. And in the short circuit, the voltage across short circuit terminals is zero. When a circuit is running in normal condition and the current passing through the components, this condition is known as a close circuit. The current only flows when a close path is created.

Why does a battery have a short circuit?

Due to any conditions, if positive and negative terminals of a battery are connected, the current has a close path to flow. But there is no load (resistance). Hence, it causes a short circuit and a high amount of current flow.

Is continuity broken in an open circuit?

Hence in an open circuit, the current flowing through the circuit is zero, and voltage is present (non-zero).

Is a switch open or closed?

And this is an open circuit condition. But when you close a switch, it will make a close path. And some amount of current will flow through the load (bulb). This is a normal condition or closed circuit. Due to any conditions, if positive and negative terminals of a battery are connected, the current has a close path to flow.

The Open Circuit Definition

An open circuit is an electrical or electronic circuit with no complete route for the electric current to flow from the source to the load or back.

The Closed Circuit Definition

It is defined as any electrical or electronic circuit that has a whole path for the flow of electric current. Experts may describe a circuit with no broken paths as being closed-circuit, or we might say it’s a closed circuit if there are no breaks in the route for electricity to travel from source to load and back.

Difference between Open Circuit and Closed Circuit

1. The significant distinction between an open circuit and a closed circuit is that in a closed circuit, there is no damaged pathway, whereas the open circuit has at least one broken path.

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Use in Practical Measurement

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An ideal voltmeter is open circuit. An open circuit is a limiting approximation for a real voltmeter, which will have some large (but not infinite) resistance. An ideal ammeter is short circuit. A short circuit is a limiting approximation for a real ammeter, which will have some small (but not zero) resistance. See the Multimet…
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Use in Theoretical Analysis

  • Just as a voltmeter and ammeter measure by connecting two probes to a circuit, theoretical analysis is often accomplished by looking at just two nodes of a circuit. Open and short circuit provide two useful points on the V-I curve. In particular: 1. The open circuit voltageis the voltage difference measured between two terminals when no current is drawn or supplied. 2. The short …
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Use in Robust Design

  • In practical design, we’d like the circuits we build to survive both the normal conditions they are designed for, and some unusual conditions that happen occasionally but should not be allowed to cause permanent damage. Open circuits happen even when undesired. For example, whenever something is disconnected or unplugged, we have an open circuit condition. Short circuits also h…
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Use in Manufacturing

  • Intentional R=0Ωresistors (short circuit) are sometimes added to a printed circuit board because the designer wants the flexibility to change the value without having to redesign the printed circuit board later if they want to add some nonzero series resistance (or other series component) in the future. Similarly, intentional jumper pads (open circuit) are sometimes added because the desig…
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What’s Next

  • In the next section, Thevenin Equivalent and Norton Equivalent Circuits, we’ll see how the two-terminal concept can be applied to making a simplified approximation of whatever is in the “black box circuit” labeled above.
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