The interrupting capacity of a circuit breaker is based on its rated what?

The interrupting capacity of a circuit breaker is fundamentally based on its rated voltage. This refers to the maximum voltage that the circuit breaker can safely interrupt when a fault or short circuit condition occurs. When a fault occurs, the circuit breaker must be able to extinguish the arc created by the current flowing through the breaker. The voltage rating indicates how much voltage the breaker can handle without sustaining damage and ensures that it can interrupt the circuit safely without any risk of further arcing or failure.

While current ratings do play a role in determining the overall performance and suitability of a circuit breaker for specific applications, the critical factor in interrupting capacity is the voltage rating. This ensures that the breaker is effectively designed to manage the electrical stresses that occur during fault conditions. Other parameters like resistance and load do not directly pertain to the interrupting capacity; hence, they do not influence the capability of the circuit breaker to interrupt fault currents at its rated voltage.