Which protective device is resettable after tripping?

• A. Fuses
• B. Ground-fault circuit interrupter
• C. Circuit breaker
• D. Surge protector

Answer: (C)

The device that is designed to be reset after it trips is the circuit breaker. When an overload or short circuit occurs, the breaker mechanically trips to open the circuit and stop the current flow. After the fault is cleared, you can reset the breaker by flipping it back on, allowing the circuit to be reenergized without replacing anything. This reusability is what makes it resettable.

Fuses, on the other hand, are meant to sacrifice themselves to protect a circuit. They contain a thin conductor that melts open when current is too high, permanently interrupting the circuit so it requires replacing the fuse. Surge protectors and similar devices aren’t the typical resettable protective switch used for ongoing circuit protection in a panel, so they don’t fit the same reset-after-trip role as a circuit breaker.