Which statement about electrical arcing is true?

Which statement about electrical arcing is true?

• A. Arcs require a direct metal-to-metal contact
• B. Arcs can only occur on AC power
• C. Objects do not have to contact the electricity source to create an arc
• D. Arcs are always visible

Answer: (C)

Electrical arcing is a discharge that jumps a gap through ionized air, forming a plasma path between conductors. It doesn’t require direct metal-to-metal contact; a sufficient voltage difference across a gap can ionize the air and create a conductive channel. This means arcs can occur with either direct current or alternating current—the important factor is the voltage and the gap, not the type of current. Because of that, the statement that objects do not have to touch the electricity source to create an arc is true. Also, arcs aren’t always visible; some discharges may be dim or hidden in bright surroundings, so visibility isn’t a reliable indicator of whether an arc is occurring.

Electrical arcing is a discharge that jumps a gap through ionized air, forming a plasma path between conductors. It doesn’t require direct metal-to-metal contact; a sufficient voltage difference across a gap can ionize the air and create a conductive channel. This means arcs can occur with either direct current or alternating current—the important factor is the voltage and the gap, not the type of current. Because of that, the statement that objects do not have to touch the electricity source to create an arc is true. Also, arcs aren’t always visible; some discharges may be dim or hidden in bright surroundings, so visibility isn’t a reliable indicator of whether an arc is occurring.