Electricity Use in Homes and Businesses

Question 4 • Crowley Credit Recovery Physics B

The cause of a fire in a computer is described as an incorrectly wired circuit.

Answer

The wiring contained a short circuit, so the reduced resistance caused an increase in current.

The wiring contained an open circuit, so the reduced resistance caused an increase in current.

The wiring contained a closed circuit, so the current was redirected around the components that would have provided the proper resistance.

The wiring contained an open circuit, so the current was redirected around the components that would have provided the proper resistance.

Explanation

A short circuit creates an unintended path with very low resistance. By Ohm’s law, when voltage stays the same, lower resistance allows greater current to flow, which can overheat wires and cause a fire. An open circuit interrupts the path rather than increasing current, so choice A is correct: the wiring contained a short circuit, and reduced resistance caused an increase in current.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

More from this Course

Ohm's Law

Electric Circuits

Lab: Circuit Design