3. An unintended path of low resistance bypassing the intended path and allowing passage of an abnormally high amount of current is known as what?

A short circuit is defined as an unintended, low-resistance path that allows excessive current to bypass the intended load. This condition directly matches the question's description of an unintended path with low resistance allowing abnormally high current. Open circuits interrupt current flow, while ground references describe system voltage referencing, making 'short circuit' the correct answer.