Which statement correctly describes a short circuit?

Which statement correctly describes a short circuit?

• A. It has high resistance and restricts current.
• B. It has little resistance, allowing large currents.
• C. It always opens the circuit.
• D. It only occurs in DC circuits.

Answer: (B)

A short circuit creates a path with very low resistance that bypasses the intended load. With such low resistance, the current becomes very large for the given voltage, which is exactly what the description of having little resistance and allowing large currents conveys. This matches Ohm’s law, I = V/R; as resistance drops, current rises dramatically. The other statements don’t fit: a short circuit does not inherently have high resistance or open the circuit, and it can occur in both AC and DC systems (not just DC). In real systems, protective devices like fuses or breakers typically trip to interrupt the excessive current.

A short circuit creates a path with very low resistance that bypasses the intended load. With such low resistance, the current becomes very large for the given voltage, which is exactly what the description of having little resistance and allowing large currents conveys. This matches Ohm’s law, I = V/R; as resistance drops, current rises dramatically. The other statements don’t fit: a short circuit does not inherently have high resistance or open the circuit, and it can occur in both AC and DC systems (not just DC). In real systems, protective devices like fuses or breakers typically trip to interrupt the excessive current.