Short circuit Tree limbs cause a short circuit during a storm, triggering an electrical arc. A short circuit (sometimes abbreviated to " short " or "s/c") is an electrical circuit that allows an electric current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance. This results in an excessive current flowing through the ... A short circuit is a state in which electricity moves outside of the predefined route of an electrical circuit . Simple Answer: A short circuit happens when electricity takes an unintended shortcut, bypassing the normal path in a circuit . This usually happens when two wires touch or when the resistance in a circuit becomes too low, causing a large current to flow. Short circuits can overheat wires, damage electrical devices, and cause fires. They occur due to faulty wiring, broken insulation, or water contact with electrical parts. Circuit breakers and fuses help protect against short circuits by ... A short circuit is a circuit that helps current to move over a path that has low or zero electrical impedance, which causes high current flow in the circuit . An open circuit is the reverse of a short circuit , which has infinite resistance between two nodes.