I was just wondering what happens when an electrical component or circuit becomes 'shot' as we term it. Now I am studying engineering, and my field has delved slightly into electricity, so I understand electricity to a point. But anyone out their with a good understanding of electricity, what exactly goes wrong? Thanks.
Shot is usually used as a general term to mean the component/circuit is broken, which can come from any number of reasons. In an IC, for example, if too much heat is applied during soldering the chip will no longer function as intended. Likewise if too much voltage and/or current is applied the chip will no longer function. All three of these different things can lead to the component being shot, that is no longer functional. What types of things can break different components definitely depends on what component you're looking at.
Many things can occur to make a piece of equipment malfunction (you may use the term shot, but others don't). Semiconductors can sometimes grow whiskers, tiny metal fingers that can cause shorts. Semiconductors subjected to thermal cycles can die due to cracks in the die, or leads breaking. You can have bad solder connections on PC boards or connectors that eventually fail. Connectors can wear out from repeated use, or the wires can break in cables. Poorly designed electronics can die early due to voltage or thermal stress, exceeding the ratings of the components. The most common failure mode is around connectors and cables. If I think of the failed electronic devices I have seen in the last 20 years, I can list a PC with a bad memory connector, a PC with a broken key on the keyboards, An electric heater not working on HI, with a faulty overload trip, A scanner with a bad cell. A CRT type TV where the screen brightness slowly faded till it was not usable. And that's about all, the rest are due to obsolescence. .
The term shot as some engineers say, is used to describe a something that is malfunctioning or damaged to the point where it no longer works. Eg; The radiator on the car is shot, or the fuses are shot, Its not a technical term, rather slang. If you want to follow the correct wording, the part shold be called failed or defective rather than shot, as it conveys a cheap laid back worker (cowboy) rather than a qualified engineer.
The power supply which, we get in our home, contains atleast two wires, one is phase which carries currect inputtin from the transformer, and the other wise is neutral which is commonly dummy, but when we connect the circuit, then this neutral wire provides return path for currentand if these two wires get shorted, then a current of 200 times normal current generates in it, but the wires can carry only upto 5 to 10 times the normal current. so when short occures then such high currents use to do damageso the introduction of circuit breakers or fuse is necessory.with its use the the circuit is get breaked even when the short circuit current become higher than 10 times thanx
