When tripped, the circuit breaker handle moves to which position?

When a circuit breaker is tripped, it typically moves to a position that is halfway between the On and Off positions. This is a crucial safety feature that visually indicates a fault in the system. The halfway position helps to alert users that the breaker is not in the normal operating state and needs to be reset.

If the breaker were to move all the way to the Off position, it could be less obvious that a fault occurred, and one would have to check the breaker status before assuming the circuit is entirely de-energized. Similarly, if the breaker remained fully in the On position, it would not address the trip condition and could pose safety risks. Thus, the halfway position is significant because it signals that attention is needed, allowing for safe investigation or correction of the underlying issue before resetting the breaker.