What term describes a holding arrangement in a control circuit that maintains its output after the initiating action is released?

• A. seal-in circuit
• B. feedback latch
• C. interlock circuit
• D. relay strobe

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how a circuit can keep its output on after the initiating action is released. A seal-in circuit does this by creating a self-hold path: when you start the process, the coil energizes and closes an auxiliary (holding) contact that is wired in parallel with the start switch. That holding contact provides current to the coil even after you release the start action, so the output remains energized until you press a stop or otherwise break the hold. This persistent on-state is exactly what a seal-in circuit is designed to do.

Other terms don’t fit this specific behavior. A feedback latch describes a general way to maintain state via feedback, but in industrial control circuits the standard term for the physical holding arrangement is seal-in. An interlock circuit focuses on preventing unsafe or invalid sequences, not on maintaining output after release. A relay strobe isn’t a recognized concept for holding a circuit on.