A short circuit in an electrical circuit is a situation where a normally high-resistance load path is bypassed by an unintended low-resistance path, causing a large amount of electrical current to flow through this unintended low-resistance path. This is a dangerous condition as it can cause fires or equipment damage.

Dissecting each option:

Option 1: During a short circuit, the current does not become zero. Instead, due to the presence of a low resistance path, the current increases drastically.

Option 2: The current does not remain the same either. It significantly rises due to the sudden drop in resistance.

Option 3: This is the correct answer. The current increases sharply because, due to the accidental creation of a low-resistance path, more current is driven by the voltage source, leading to a sudden surge in the current.

Option 4: The current does not decrease sharply. Contrarily, it augments rapidly because the low resistance allows for more current to flow.

So, during a short circuit, the current in an electric circuit increases sharply.