Name a safety device used to protect against electrical overload.

A circuit breaker is a critical safety device designed to protect electrical circuits from overload and short circuits. It operates by automatically interrupting the electrical flow when the current exceeds a specific threshold, thus preventing damage to the circuit and reducing the risk of fire or equipment failure.

In essence, circuit breakers provide a resettable method of protection. When an overload occurs, instead of a wire melting down or damaging components, the breaker trips and can be reset either manually or automatically in some modern designs. This makes them a practical choice for modern electrical installations, allowing for easy restoration of power once the issue is resolved.

While other devices listed, such as fuses and surge protectors, also play roles in electrical safety, they function differently. A fuse provides overload protection but must be replaced after it blows, whereas surge protectors primarily protect against voltage spikes rather than continuous overload situations. A transformer’s purpose is to change the voltage level in an electrical circuit, not to protect against overload.