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What would happen if you used a copper penny to replace a melted fuse?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Well, first off most cents are zinc now, but in any case using a coin to replace a fuse is a very bad idea. A fuse is designed to be the weak link in an electrical system. It's intended to fail before any other part of the system does, so that expensive things like stoves, TVs, and inside-the-wall wiring don't fail in the event of a serious electrical problem. And even more important, a failure of one of those items could cause a fire!
Bottom line, keep some spare fuses on hand, or if possible have a licensed electrician replace the fuses with circuit breakers. They're special switches that open up during a over current fault or overload so they protect the system just like a fuse, but they can simply be reset after the cause of the overload has been fixed.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoYou would be substituting an approximate 400-Amp conductor for the blown fuse. A copper penny has about 1,000 amps per square inch and is about 0.75 inches in diameter. The actual amount of current burning the penny would depend upon how much of its surface is in contact with the fuse panel.
I have seen people use 3/4-inch copper pipe for a fuse, setting it to approximately 8,000 amps. Because ordinary branch circuit wires catch fire at much less than 400 amps, replacing a fuse with a penny will guarantee an electrical fire next time the fuse would have blown.
It also may negate any obligation of the fire insurance company to pay a claim.
Its Lina
It would be dangerous to replace a blown fuse with a copper penny because the fuse is made to stop the current when it gets too high, but the penny will continue to allow charges to flow which could cause an electrical fire if the current gets too high.
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What is needed for an electric circuit light up a light bulb?
i have plans to make a lightbulb glow. to complete the circuit, what can i use? these are my options ....a copper penny,a plastic comb,a metal clip,or an iron nail?
Why would it be dangerous to replace a blown fuse with a copper penny?
The purpose of a fuse is to break a circuit in the event of some form of power surge within the circuit. This surge could be a momentary occurrence, such as those experienced immediate before and after power cuts, or it could be a result of a fault within the circuit, such as a broken transformer. Replacing a fuse with anything other than an appropriate fuse, would put anybody using the circuit at risk of electrocution, which could prove fatal depending upon the nature of the circuit and its use. <<>> Replacing a fuse with a penny is old technology that was used in the 40's and 50's. Distribution fuse boards are not sold anymore. An update to the old fuse boards was brought about in the 60's, where an insert was placed in the fuse socket that had different internal threads for different rated fuses. This move made it impossible to use the old penny trick. A lot of the old fuse panels did not have a main disconnect so if a penny was used instead of a fuse in the circuit on a fault a very high current could occur. The only fuse in the circuit would be the primary side of the feed transformer. These fuses are sometimes rated 300% higher than what the transformers need. This is to stop needless tripping if a branch accidentally falls across the primary line. A small branch would burn off without interruption to the power service. Over fusing would allow the current draw on the secondary to rise to 10,000 amps before the circuit would disconnect itself. In most cases the service feed wires would just melt and the circuit would open. So in effect one penny could cost the home owner thousands of dollars in repair work. New installations installed now are all circuit breaker distribution panels with main disconnects. That being said, even with new technology like using re-closers on the primary lines, one thing that has not changed is that the utility companies today still over fuse their transformers.
How do you use a multimeter to measure the current in a lemon?
You will need to add an anode and cathode, such as a penny and a nickel. Then add a load resister and use an amp meter to measure current flow, which will change depending on resistance. Measuring the potential current would prove more difficult.
How has transistors change the world?
Enormously! The predecessor to the transistor was the valve (tube in America). The valve was fragile, ran very hot, physically large and expensive to make. The transistor (although initially expensive) is robust, efficient, tiny and practically free nowadays (a modern Intel processor contains over 500 million transistor and costs around £100 so a transistor costs 20 millionths of a penny). So the change to the world has been the possibility of cheap "intelligent" electronics being added to many aspects of life.
What will happen if copper dipped in a vinegar?
Copper reacts with the oxidilized copper on the penny.
Why doesn't a penny melt in water?
A penny is a solid material that is made out of copper and the copper is melted and poured into a mold and cooled.
What is the width of a penny?
The diameter of a penny is 0.750-inches. A United States penny is made of copper-plated zinc. Coins that are worn, but still recognizable and coins that are chipped or mutilated are melted and reused.
What will happen to a tropical fish if a copper penny were dropped into the tank?
nothing!
Can copper pennies be melted down?
It is illegal to melt down pennies or nickels at this time. Currently the penny is only made of 2.5% copper with the rest zinc. However, prior to 1982 pennies were predominately made of copper. A pre-1982 penny is currently worth about 2 cents.
Any penny melted-down and sold as scrap metal?
It is illegal to melt U.S. pennies for copper. You can go to the United States Government mint site www.usmint.gov for more information. Every penny made before 1982 is 95% copper, and thus is worth 2.5 times its face value.
What element is found in the us penny?
Copper
What is a 1956 copper penny worth?
A penny.
What has more copper penny or nickel?
PENNY
What has copper in it besides copper wire?
A penny
How does one find out if a penny is made of copper or zinc?
You can tell if a penny is made out of zinc or copper by the date on the penny. If the date is before 1982 then the penny is 95% copper. Pennies dated 1983 or later are 97.5% zinc with a thin copper coating.
What zink penny should be copper tracsition year?
did they make 1982 copper penny by mistake
