What is a ground wire?

Question

What is so important about a groundwire? Why can a car electronic device such as an amplifier only run off a power wire? Why is it so important to have this wire hooked onto a peice of metal? Please explain it to me. Its so hard to find the perfect grounding spot.

Answer 1

DC used in cars stands for Direct Current is defined as current that travels in only one direction most theorys suggest (+) to (-) AC used in both home and car Alternating Current is an electrical current that periodically changes polarity in a car the altinator creates AC that is changed into DC by a prosses called rectification. For any electronics to be a closed curcuit there needs to be a power sourse and a return or a ground. Its important to have a good ground so the current can travel through the device and give it power if you dont have a closed curcuit it could be called an open curcuit and the power would be off. The metal surface you attach the ground to is the chasis and you could think of the chasis as a large wire returning current back to youre altinator to keep youre battery charged and youre electronic components working. Andres is right about wanting the shortest length of wire for the ground but is wrong about the heat and current flow if you did run a ground all the way back to the negitive terminal it would do the same as grounding it to the chasis and as long as you used the proper gauge wire (AWG) there should be no heat and proper current flow, heat is caused by resistance and measured in ohms, current is mesured in amperes. I would definitly not suggest running the wire all the way back it would be a waste of supplies and cash but use the right size.

Answer 2

A ground wire, now and then additionally alluded to as a "grounded" wire, is an electrical wire that kills and ensures gadgets, apparatuses, and structures from current issues and stuns. Initially the term connected just to wires that were really joined with the Earth, and much of the time this is still genuine. Power rushing to homes and office structures quite often has this in-ground highlight. The stating has gotten to be pervasive, in any case, and is frequently utilized as a part of connections where there is no real contact with the exacting ground. Phones, for case, may be said to have ground wiring; numerous little apparatuses additionally have wires with this name. In these cases the "establishing" that is occurring is truly for the most part about adjustment.


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Answer 3

Electrical devices run on a circuit of power. On a car's dc circuit, the battery sends out 12 volts on the power side or hot wire and completes the circuit with the ground or negative side. With out both, no circuit, and no power for the device to work. The ground doesn't have to be the metal near the device, it can be by a wire that runs all the way back to the negative post on the battery.

Answer 4

The positive or power wire connects to the device, but you need a ground connected to the device to complete the circuit, so the electricity can flow through the device and exit via the ground wire to complete the circuit.

Answer 5

Mikel is right, exept for the ground wire running all the way back to car's battery. The ground wire should be as short as possible, to prevent the wire from getting hot. If the wire gets hot, it looses it's abillity to transfer the correct amount of current,thus preventing your system to perform at it's best.

Answer 6

because there's a positive and a negative,and without the negative most things wont work,,like a radio it will ground its self through the antenna wire,but that's making it draw a good ground the hard way,and this can burn it out,,that's why the wire is there that gives it a direct ground,,other wise radios would have a short lived life in a car,Good luck,hope this help,s

Answer 7

any metal parts in the car can be use for ground. just drill a hole and tap the wire. ground wire is prevent shortage of electronics