What is an electric fuse ? How does it function ?

Explanation

An electric fuse is an important component of all domestic circuits .
It is used to avoid incidents such as electric shock , fire, damage to an electric appliance due to (a) short - circuiting or (b) overloading (darwing a current beyond a specified limit) in a circuit .
A fuse is a most important safety device . It consists fo short thin tin-placed copper wire having low melting point . It melts and breaks the circuit if the current exceeds a safe value .
Important points regrarding a fuse :
(1) A fuse in always connected in seires with the live wire .
(2) A fuse is always connected in the begining of the circuit .
(3) The thicker the fuse wire, the greater is its current - carrying capacity (also called current ratting) less than the maximum current which a circuit (or an appliance ) can withstand .

Two different types of electric fuse used in a domestic circuit are shown above .
Two differents types of eletric fuse used in a domestic circuit are shown above .
The use of an electric fuse prevents a possible damge to the electric circuit and the appliance by stopping the flow of unduly high electric current . The joule heating of the fuse melts it. This breaks the electric circuit .