why does a generator become impossible to turn when it is short-circuited?

Subject: why does a generator become impossible to turn when it is short-circuited?

Date: Thu Apr 7 11:49:39 2011
Posted by Saf
Grade level: grad (non-science) School: No school entered.
City: No city entered. State/Province: No state entered. Country: No country entered.
Area of science: Engineering
ID: 1302202179.Eg

Message:


This school experiment has been troubling me for 20 years. A hand-powered
generator and some light bulbs formed a circuit. As the lights were removed the
generator became progressively easier to turn. When the last one was removed and
the circuit was shorted, the generator became impossible to turn. With no
resistance I had assumed that it would be very easy to turn... thanks

Re: why does a generator become impossible to turn when it is short-circuited?

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