Ancestors

Written by Emil Socks on 2024-11-21 at 22:48

I was today years old when I learned that ground and neutral are not the same thing in electric circuits

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Toot

Written by Emil Socks on 2024-11-21 at 22:57

I'm still not 100% sure I understand the difference though

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Descendants

Written by Cloudmom Colette on 2024-11-21 at 23:04

@socks I am prepared to explain!!! if you would like to know

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Written by Emil Socks on 2024-11-22 at 05:41

@electrocutie Oh, sure!

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Written by Cloudmom Colette on 2024-11-22 at 07:53

@socks so, I'm going to illustrate with the help of circuit-js, an online circuit sim

first, behold, the transformer going into your home

https://tinyurl.com/2bftcc4p

Note that even though power flows through the resistor and the sign of the voltage keeps flipping none of the dots that represent flowing current go into the earth wire. This is because current always flows in a loop. So takeaway 1 is that neutral is "bonded" to earth but normally nothing flows through it

(1/ a few)

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Written by Cloudmom Colette on 2024-11-22 at 07:59

@socks In your home some of your devices only have 2 pins, connecting to phase ("hot") and neutral, those need to be "double isolated" and basically they have enough barriers between you and the dangerous voltages to not need an earth wire

But some things have that earth wire

This wire normally has no current flowing through it. Its tied straight back to the earthing rod for the building. It is at the same potential as the earth is in that area

(2 / several)

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Written by Cloudmom Colette on 2024-11-22 at 08:02

@socks all voltages are relative, and a transformer just drives a voltage difference. That's why we bond it to earth one one side. Nothing special about that side.

So what happens when there is a fault and neutral is broken or bypassed? Well current flows through the earth wire in your wall back to the bonding point and completes the circuit. Not really that exciting. Except for the part where the fault is. Faults are exciting in "oh no!" way

(3 / ?)

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Written by Cloudmom Colette on 2024-11-22 at 08:08

@socks These days every circuit in the house has an RCD. Residual Current Device. This measures the current in the phase and neutral and makes sure they are equal but opposite, as they will be when there is no fault.

If current is flowing through the Earth wire then they won't be equal. It trips a circuit breaker.

(4/5)

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Written by Cloudmom Colette on 2024-11-22 at 08:16

@socks So the Earth bonding point is there to set which wire is neutral

The earth wire in your wall is to provide an emergency temporary path if one of the other wires comes into contact with the case of a device. Normally there is no connection at the device between the ground and the other 2.

So even though they're at the same voltage "Earth" wires do a different job

(5/5)

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Written by Emil Socks on 2024-11-22 at 08:49

@electrocutie I see, okay! Thank you!

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