Double insulation is designed to prevent electric shocks by ensuring what condition?

Study for the IGCSE Physics Electricity. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Double insulation is designed to prevent electric shocks by ensuring what condition?

Explanation:
Double insulation works by keeping all live electrical parts away from the outer surface with two layers of insulation or a non-conductive shell. This creates no conductive path from the live parts to the casing, so the outer surface cannot become live and cannot shock a user, even if one layer wears. The surface staying non-conductive is the key protection. The other ideas don’t fit: relying on an earth wire isn’t needed because there’s no earth path in double-insulated designs; a metal casing would still need earthing to be safe, whereas double insulation is specifically designed to be safe without it; and a fuse protects against overcurrent, not the electrical surface being live.

Double insulation works by keeping all live electrical parts away from the outer surface with two layers of insulation or a non-conductive shell. This creates no conductive path from the live parts to the casing, so the outer surface cannot become live and cannot shock a user, even if one layer wears. The surface staying non-conductive is the key protection.

The other ideas don’t fit: relying on an earth wire isn’t needed because there’s no earth path in double-insulated designs; a metal casing would still need earthing to be safe, whereas double insulation is specifically designed to be safe without it; and a fuse protects against overcurrent, not the electrical surface being live.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy