If there is no conduction path between the electrodes or probes, what happens?

• A. The CEW will not operate
• B. The CEW will operate at reduced power
• C. The CEW will explode
• D. The device will self-discharge

Answer: (A)

The device delivers energy only when there is a conductive path between its two electrodes so current can flow through a target. With no conduction path, the circuit is open, so essentially no current can travel, and the stored energy cannot discharge. As a result, the CEW won’t operate because there’s no load to drive the pulse through. This is why there’s no reduced power, no explosion, and no self-discharge happening in this open-circuit situation—the energy simply has nowhere to go until a conductive path is established.