🔍 Key Concepts

• Series-fed plate circuit operation in a vacuum tube amplifier • Function of a plate bypass capacitor (what does it connect and what does it block/pass?) • What happens if a capacitor across a high-voltage DC supply becomes a short circuit

💭 Think About

• In a series-fed plate circuit, trace the path of the DC plate current from the power supply through the tube and any components to ground. If the bypass capacitor is shorted, how does this change that path? • Is the plate bypass capacitor normally across the load/plate circuit or directly across the power supply? If it becomes a short, what part of the circuit is effectively shorted? • Compare the immediate electrical effect (short circuit vs loss of voltage) with the possible consequences over time (e.g., overheating, damage). Which answer choice describes only the immediate effect, and which includes potential results?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify exactly what two points the plate bypass capacitor is connected between in a series-fed plate circuit (for example: plate to ground, plate to B+, etc.). • Determine whether a shorted bypass capacitor creates a direct path for current that bypasses the intended load or tube elements, and if that path goes straight across the power supply terminals. • Distinguish between what must happen in any such short (certain and immediate) and what could possibly happen (depends on component ratings, fuses, etc.).