True or False: A GFCI will protect you from shock if you come across a hot lead and a neutral lead.

A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is designed to protect against electric shock caused by ground faults, which occur when electrical current flows through an unintended path, typically to the ground or to a person. To understand why the correct answer is that it is false that a GFCI will protect you if you encounter a hot lead and a neutral lead, it's important to consider how a GFCI operates.

The operation of a GFCI relies on the detection of imbalances between the outgoing current on the hot lead and the returning current on the neutral lead. When these currents are equal, the GFCI allows current to flow uninterrupted. However, if current flows through a person or other unintended path to ground, creating an imbalance, the GFCI quickly cuts off the power to prevent serious injury.

In the specific scenario of coming into contact with a hot lead and a neutral lead, there is no ground fault occurring because both leads are part of the circuit. This means there wouldn’t be an imbalance that the GFCI could detect, thus, it would not trip, providing no protection from the electric shock in such a situation.

Understanding the role of a GFCI in identifying ground fault conditions clarifies why it