Answer:
A FUSE is a type of conductor which protects the circuit by shorting it down when there is excess flow of current passing through it.
Explanation:
A fuse wire is made up of conducting materials such as alloy of tin and lead that has high resistivity. It has a low melting point of 200°C. It works based on the principle of heating effect of electric current. The functions of fuses include the following:
--> Fuses are made up of thin wire CONDUCTORS which interrupts or breaks the current flow of a circuit when in excess, thereby protecting the circuit from damage.
--> it prevents overload of current. In the event where too many appliances are connected to a single circuit, this can lead to overload which triggers a fuse to terminate the circuit connection.
--> It prevents total black-out: SWITCH-LIKE devices known as CIRCUIT BREAKERS share this function with the fuses. The nearest circuit breaks if any dysfunction occurs in the components of the circuit thereby preventing blackout.