What term describes the energy stored in capacitors or battery after an accident?

• A. Energized
• B. Stranded
• C. Stored
• D. Residual charge

Answer: (B)

Residual charge describes the energy left stored in capacitors or a battery after the system has been de-energized or after an incident. Capacitors can hold a charge because energy is stored in their electric field, and batteries retain chemical energy that can keep voltage present even when power is removed. This leftover energy can remain hazardous, so technicians must safely discharge it before working. Energetic or currently energized implies active power flow, which isn’t the exact idea here; stored is too generic and doesn’t specify the leftover state after an event; stranded isn’t used in this safety context. The correct term is residual charge.