Red Seal Electrician Practice
DC circuitsQuestion 832 of 1506

A long run of small wire feeds a load. The wire is well within its safe current rating, but the load runs poorly. What is the most likely cause?

  1. Overheating of the insulation in the wire
  2. Dielectric breakdown of the wire insulation
  3. Skin effect in a DC circuit
  4. Voltage drop in the wire
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Correct answer: Voltage drop in the wire

A wire can be safe for fire but still drop too much voltage. The load then gets less than its minimum voltage.

Source: Lessons in Electric Circuits I: DC (Kuphaldt), 12.5: Specific Resistance

Practice dc circuits

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026