Electricity Takes the Path of Least Resistance

Welcome back to another electrifying video, this time we're debunking the common myth of THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE! ⚡🛣️
00:00 - INTRODUCTION
01:08 - TOOLS: Brief description about a few different multimeters
03:03 - Practice Exams
03:19 - SAFETY: Your body can become a path for electricity
5:10 - CODE: Pull out your NEC and open to 250.122 F2
6:23 - ELECTRICAL THEORY: Parallel Circuits
11:22 - DEMONSTRATION: Electricity travels on ALL possible paths!
In the INTRODUCTION, we throw light on the fact that electricity travels through all paths, not just the path with the least resistance, challenging a common misconception. ⚡🔀
In the TOOLS section, we examine three different types of multimeters, clarifying their respective properties and applications. Highlighting the OHM setting, we demonstrate its significance in accurately assessing resistance, an essential skill for anyone working with electrical circuits. 🛠️🔍
Safety is paramount, as we discuss in the SAFETY section. Here, we underline the potential danger of your body becoming a pathway for electricity if not handled with care. We stress that electricity requires two points to move through a conductor, including you! So, safety should always be your first priority.
In CODE TIME, we delve into the specifics of 250.122 F2, offering insights and practical interpretations of this critical electrical code. 📚💼
Next up is ELECTRICAL THEORY, where we delve into Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Law. We demonstrate how, even with different resistances, electricity will take all possible paths - a concept supported by mathematical evidence! 🧮📐
Finally, it's time for the DEMONSTRATION. Watch as Dustin constructs a parallel circuit with varied resistances, illustrating how electricity follows all paths, thereby debunking the myth that "electricity only takes the path of least resistance." 🧑‍🔬💡
If you love exploring the intricacies of electricity, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video with other electricity enthusiasts!
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[@bryanduchane2371]

If the voltage is high enough, it will take whatever path it wants to take..

[@gavinselman2104]

Love the new style and content layout! 5 years ago I found this channel when I got a job as a helper and had no idea what being an electrician was about. This channel has helped me so much over the years. Thank you for everything you give to the community Dustin!

[@felipea1844]

As a Hispanic man, a future electrician helper, a dyslexic and dyscalculic leaner ... I thank you for this video brother, Dustin. This video will shorten, my long learning curve, as a dyslexic and dyscalculic learner.

[@leotexas3485]

Your Channel has helped me greatly with my apprenticeship over the past couple of years! I will likely never be a Journeyman since I only do electrical part-time as a side gig, but I can always be a good apprentice for someone!

[@willfergusson724]

Nice Video, love to go back and hit the basics !

[@PhinAI]

You are awesome. You need to hear that at least once today. Thank you!

[@johndavis4767]

Great video. The demo is a great way to explain this. Although the statement is actually correct, it implies that it "only" goes the least resistance path. What I tell people is that for this to be true, a power plant could only light one light bulb or appliance. So if you turn on your electric stove, then all your lights would go out. I think this originates from someone demoing a battery connected to a light bulb and then connecting a wire across the bulb, shorting it out, and then the bulb goes out. To explain this they then say, "electricity takes the path of least resistance". The real reason is the battery's internal resistance is greater than the short so the output voltage drops too low to light the bulb. I know, more questions.

[@brianmcdermott1718]

Great info. explained well. Thanks Justin.

[@4TDsInOneGame]

Great video ! Your way of explaining these theories is great. I am fascinated by electricity, and your videos help me to understand it better, however most of the time it’s still over my head haha

[@stevesargent4269]

Great demo!

[@martf1061]

No its not. Look at the setup carefully

[@josephnicolas2158]

Amazing videos as usual. Can you consider doing a video on what would happen to a neutral wire if it was wired incorrectly in a branch circuit circumstance where both of the 120 V hot wires were on terminated to the same incoming leg instead of alternating them the two. I am curious to see what would happen if you could demonstrate it by overloading the neutral wire by utilizing all 40 A on the improperly wired branch circuit, which would then return put all that on the neutral which is rated for 20 A. Would this melt the neutral at the panel or what could the worst happen? Many thanks greatly appreciate your videos!

[@derrickbonsell]

Electricity is a quantum phenomenon. People looking at electricity as though it was a fluid like water is probably where this idea that electricity "takes the path of least resistance" comes from.

[@FernandoGomez-rs2pd]

Great video as always if I were to run a 60 amp sub panel in my shed in underground conduit that is around 50 ft or so away what size conductors is recommended

[@Sundance_the_Rapper]

Depends on the context and the framing of the information.

[@darrinseelye2091]

This is mostly correct. However the statment still stands that current takes the path of least resistance. Here is an exapmle where you can see this. Say you have one feed that is adjustable up to a 1000v. Off of that feed you have 5 parlell circuits all with an air gap of an inch. Each circuit has a diffeent gage wire 18,16,14,12,10. Now crank up the voltage until one of the circuits is completed through the air gap. The circuit with the least resistance will complete that air gap first in this example it would be the 10 guage wire.

[@javiramsingh2662]

Good video, can you do one on PE conductors and how do your protection operates.

[@ronnietaurarii4660]

Your content is lit! How do I get the digital version of the code book?

[@johnsonjae]

Dustin, I have a possibly dumb question, unrelated to the video. I am researching options for redoing the service at a building I may be purchasing. I was watching your short on the Square D QO PoN surge protector Breaker, and looking at panel Surge Protection. I'm curious, would there be any benefit to populating the first slots on either side of the panel with surge protector breakers? Would they share the load of a surge? Would they both pop at the first surge? Would they alternate popping, giving you a second protection cycle during a "storm"? Would you just be wasting money and space? I feel like the answer is just get one protector at the max rating, and replace it when compromised, but? Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

[@Adambossonyoutube]

I am hooking 2 separate power inverters into the 2 phases of a load center. Do i need to also separate off the neutral bus bar or can I run both on the same neutral without damaging the inverters?

[@theastuteangler]

never share a neutral and hire an electrician.

[@MrChiumiento]

Can you do a video on labeling services depending on how you wire them? According to Art. 230.85. Sometimes it has to be labeled emergency disconnect not service dissonnect. Could you please explain this better? Thank you.

[@michellet_thatsme]

So basically electricity just wants to go home and the only thing standing in its way is resistance? Less resistance, the quicker electricity gets back home, more resistance is pretty much the equivalent to driving home in heavy traffic? Wait…except electricity is driving all the cars?! Oh boy.😂😅 lol

[@fisforfriendship6093]

the correct way to say it is the majority of electricity travels through least resistance

[@citylinksvc5940]

I’m not an electrician common sense in logic is key. If you working on anything with voltage and you know that the surface you’re working on is wet, the best practices to put a four square footage, PVC that you can stand on wall that prevent any electrical shock. I’m not sure my whole sentence is a question.??????

[@theastuteangler]

The intro alone got a like from me. I absolutely hate that phrase, and I stop engaging with anyone who parrots it.

[@martf1061]

6:56 If the doted lines are only conductors, then you have 3 short circuit situations in your drawing... So WHY would current go trough the load on the right, when it can go where there is NO loads..?!?

[@tedlahm5740]

Please, the dotted lines Do Have a load, just not drawn in.

[@jimlopez8197]

It takes all path’s.

[@waynegram8907]

DUSTIN, There can be 3 or more different types of loads that will measure the same DC resistance for each load. Example of different types of loads measure 1K or 10K DC resistance but each different load will have a different "current consumption or current draw" which is the main differences between different loads. You can have a load that is 10K but draws 200mA of current while another load that is also 10K draws 500mA and another load that is 10K that draws 2 amps. So you should make a YT lesson about this

[@theastuteangler]

bro wut? You talking about inductive loads vs resistive loads here? You lost me.

[@waynegram8907]

@@theastuteangler Various types of loads can measure the same DC resistance but their AC impedance are different so the Current Draw Total Current Consumption will be different for each load even if they have the same DC resistance. 100K DC resistive load compared to various 100K DC Reactive load will draw different amounts of current total current consumption.

[@theastuteangler]

@@waynegram8907 ahh gotcha

[@tedlahm5740]

Dustin is drawing AC. not DC. ?

[@theastuteangler]

@@tedlahm5740 the multimeter sends a DC signal when checking for resistance, I think that's what he's talking about

[@gooneybird808]

It takes all conductive paths

[@TJK50014]

resistance is futile

[@mike_realityi]

Is this the new MA office?

[@danielelise7348]

It does whatever the hell it likes.THE END.

[@jimlopez8197]

And it absolutely does not seek to go to ground. It seeks to go back to the source! Only lightning seeks to go to ground.

[@jamieo6642]

I think he’s referring to the fact that the TX will be earthed at source, crating a path through the mass of Earth ( US ground)

[@perttuhamalainen4942]

Isnt the whole point of grounding that electricity will return on groundwire to source rather than trough your body, because theres least resistance

[@alejandrogalarza3147]

the ground wire is a low resistance path for the current to return to its source and pass through it and trigger the thermomagnetic, current also passes through you, but in this case by ohm's law the current passing through from you are nanoamperes per thousandths of seconds since the ground conductor would be 0 ohms and that in ohm's law is infinite current through the ground wire.

[@perttuhamalainen4942]

@@alejandrogalarza3147 thank you sir

[@SuperVstech]

Electricity DOES indeed take the path of least resistance… It takes ALL other paths also. If there is resistance, it will create heat etc in the path… but it will take it.

[@RobAnd110]

That home DIY guy made you look like a punk. I do love your channel. You have great content. The Ontario DIY knows nothing. He just made our trade look like laying laminate flooring. You don't need skill just put wires in. I can tell you're smarter than that. Black market bill diy channel took you. Please explain the danger.

[@RobAnd110]

He even said black to black and white to white. T try that in a 3 way switch loop

[@LtKernelPanic]

Spoiler: Nope it takes all paths. More current will flow through lower resistance but it will take all paths to ground.

[@TheTenta]

Is your dad the guy from electrician U

[@drewpanetti]

Discord server says they want real Dustin back this week so we can make fun of you

[@bryanreese907]

Never use ohmmeter on a live circuit.

[@alexanderkvenvolden4067]

If it only took the path of least resistance, your microwave would turn off whenever you turned on the lights.

[@Kaladraz]

The opposite would be true lol lighs have really high resistance compared to microwave

[@tedlahm5740]

@@KaladrazThose two (2) loads would be in parallel.

[@Kaladraz]

​@@tedlahm5740yeah so the opposite would be true wouldnt it? The lights would turn off whenever you turned on the microwave.

[@tedlahm5740]

@@Kaladraz We Need to go back and learn parallel circuits. With parallel circuits the more loads that are turned on, the total resistance goes down. (difficult to comprehend). This is why the current Goes Up. Current goes Up ENOUGH will trip the breaker. His video covers a great deal of material. Admittedly too much for new learners. Thank you.

[@MrFitness94]

@@tedlahm5740you’re misunderstanding what @kaladraz is saying.

[@martf1061]

5:14 Worst example ever. Paralel feeds have same resistance. So current will flow evenly on both

[@tedlahm5740]

While TOTAL resistance will be lower.

[@lgninjalo]

Parallel branches have the same voltage. The resistance can, and usually does, vary.

[@nhzxboi]

Very basic. Very much something anyone with a clue would know. You shouldn't have to explicitly say this.

[@alejandrogalarza3147]

It's a channel for learners and amateurs, so not everyone knows that unless you're a professional.

[@bogdan78pop]

Resistance = Voltage drop = most times = Not dying...!!!

[@jamessmith-cr6ph]

Youre going to regret that

[@michellet_thatsme]

😂

[@jamessmith-cr6ph]

@@michellet_thatsme who are u

[@michellet_thatsme]

@@jamessmith-cr6ph I haven’t quite figured out.