VCE PHYSICS – UNIT 1 AOS 2

ELECTRICAL
SAFETY
Presented by Nick Howes

Study design dot points:

• model household electricity connections as a simple circuit comprising fuses, switches, circuit breakers, loads and
earth
• compare the operation of safety devices including fuses, circuit breakers and residual current devices (RCDs)
• describe the causes, effects and treatment of electric shock in homes and identify the approximate danger thresholds
for current and duration.

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 1

What’s in this lesson?
Safety features in household circuits

Electric shock

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 Safety -
Fuses
• Fuses are decreasingly evident.
• Ratings in terms of current, e.g. 30A, 10A, 5A etc.
• When current exceeds rating fuse melts due to heating

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 Safety –
Electromagnetic
•
devices
Electromagnetic circuit breakers or ‘Trip Switches’ designed to stop
current flow very quickly and can be reset
• 2 Main types:

ØCircuit breaker:
As current increases the magnetic field increases. When current high
enough a contact is forced apart.

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 4

 Safety –
Electromagnetic
devices
ØResidual current device (RCD)
When input current exceeds output then net force causes contact to
break

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 Earth
wire
• All devices have ‘live’ and ‘neutral’ wires.
• Switches/fuses/circuit breakers always placed in live wire
• Many devices have an ‘earth’ wire connected to part of device that may be
accessible to the user – provides path of very low resistance.

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 Double
insulation
• 2 ‘layers’ of protection
• Firstly the wires and components are insulated.
• Secondly the device is insulated.
• If either fails then the user is still protected.
• These devices will not need an earth connection

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 Electric
shock
• When a person is in contact with live and also a neutral or earth point
• Electrocution ≠ Electric shock
• Severity depends on energy delivered, so current and duration

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Multiple choice activity
Which of the following safety devices is most likely to protect a person from touching an active wire, provided the
current drawn is the same as the intended use for the circuit?

A. Fuse

B. Circuit breaker

C. Residual current device

D. Earth wire

E. I don’t know.

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 (Written by the author) 9

Multiple choice – Response
Which of the following safety devices is most likely to protect a person from touching an active wire, provided the
current drawn is the same as the intended use for the circuit?

A. Fuse

B. Circuit breaker

C. Residual current device

D. Earth wire

E. I don’t know.

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 (Written by the author) 10

Multiple choice activity
If someone experienced an electric shock, which of the following factors would produce the least damaging shock?

A. High current

B. A path directly through vital organs

C. Long duration

D. Exposure to DC rather than AC power

E. I don’t know.

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 (Written by the author) 11

Multiple choice – Response
If someone experienced an electric shock, which of the following factors would produce the least damaging shock?

A. High current

B. A path directly through vital organs

C. Long duration

D. Exposure to DC rather than AC power

E. I don’t know.

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 (Written by the author) 12

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We do our best to make these slides comprehensive and up-to-date, however there may be errors.
We'd appreciate it if you pointed these out to us!

© Nick Howes & Edrolo 2020 13