The device protecting from power cord shocks is called a ___.

The device protecting from power cord shocks is called a ___.

• A. Residual current device
• B. Arc fault interrupter
• C. Ground fault circuit interrupter
• D. Grounding protector

Answer: (C)

The device protects from power cord shocks by sensing a leak of current to ground and cutting the power fast. When a person touches a live wire and there’s a path to ground (for example through wet skin or a metal surface), some current can flow where it shouldn’t. The sensor in a grounding fault circuit interrupter detects this small imbalance between the current leaving on the hot conductor and the current returning on the neutral wire, and it trips in a fraction of a second. That quick interruption greatly reduces the risk of a dangerous shock. The typical trigger is only a few milliamps, well below what could cause harm. Arc fault interrupters are designed to prevent fires caused by sparking arcing, not to protect against shocks. A residual current device is essentially the same idea in different terminology used in many other regions, but in this course the common term you’ll see is grounding fault circuit interrupter. A grounding protector isn’t a standard protective device for this purpose.

The device protects from power cord shocks by sensing a leak of current to ground and cutting the power fast. When a person touches a live wire and there’s a path to ground (for example through wet skin or a metal surface), some current can flow where it shouldn’t. The sensor in a grounding fault circuit interrupter detects this small imbalance between the current leaving on the hot conductor and the current returning on the neutral wire, and it trips in a fraction of a second. That quick interruption greatly reduces the risk of a dangerous shock. The typical trigger is only a few milliamps, well below what could cause harm.

Arc fault interrupters are designed to prevent fires caused by sparking arcing, not to protect against shocks. A residual current device is essentially the same idea in different terminology used in many other regions, but in this course the common term you’ll see is grounding fault circuit interrupter. A grounding protector isn’t a standard protective device for this purpose.