difference between ground and neutral wire?

Question

i am asking in electrical point of view

Answer 1

The neutral wire is intended to carry current, it is the return path for current supplied by the hot wire. The ground wire is not supposed to carry any current at all until a fault of some kind occurs.

Because there is current in the neutral wire, is it not safe to handle. A break in the neutral wire would cause the side attached to the load to become hot, and depending on the resistance of the wire and the current it carries, there could be a significant voltage on the wire even in normal operation.

However, the ground wire can be attached to the enclosure of the device. It carries no current, and even if disconnected it will still be safe as long as there isn't a short circuit to the hot wire.

Should there be a short between the enclosure and the hot wire, and the ground wire is intact, the ground wire will carry enough current to blow the fuse or circuit breaker, rendering the device safe to handle. If the ground wire were absent, this fault would make the device dangerous to the touch.

Answer 2

The neutral wire comes from a Power station with Live wire.
But Power Machines need grounding for safety.

Answer 3

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RE:
difference between ground and neutral wire?
i am asking in electrical point of view

Answer 4

the ground (also called the circuit protective conductor) is only there for when a fault develops. in the event of a earth fault the ground carries the current back to the circuit board safely, allowing the RCD's to easily detect a earth fault current or allowing MCB's to trip in a overcurrent situation.

the neutral wire is the normal return path for electricity so there is normally current flowing through it.

RCD's (residual Current Devices) compare the current flowing through the Live and Neutral conductors, if there is any slight difference the RCD will trip to shut off the power.
the current in a circuit is constant for a series circuit but changes in a parallel circuit, if there is a earth fault then some or all of the current will return through the earth wire, which will be enough for the RCD to sense and trip out.

Answer 5

The neutral and live wires both have current flowing through them in opposite directions to each other. In the ground wire the is no electricity at all.

Answer 6

The neutral wire is the nomal return line so power can circulate and do the necessary work.The ground wire is similar BUT it is not connected in the circuit to the live UNLESS there is a fault so that the live is connected to the touchable parts of the equipment.If such a fault happens the ground wire directs the current directly into the ground so the live is shut off by "blowing" the fuse.

Answer 7

you have 3 wires in a mains plug brown(live), blue(neutral), green(earth),,to answer yor question the neutral (blue) wire is needed to close the circuit, the brown(live) wire is the most dangerous and the earth( green) wire is the safeguard to carry current away from you however this dosnt always work if you are careless. so my tip is if you dont know what you are doing with mains voltages dont mess you'l live longer

Answer 8

Ground or earth in a mains (AC power) electrical wiring system is a conductor that exists primarily to help protect against faults and which in normal operation does not carry current.

The term "ground" is used in Canada and the U.S.; the term "earth" is used in most of the rest of the English-speaking world. They are used synonymously here.

Neutral is a circuit conductor that may carry current in normal operation, and which is usually connected to earth. In house wiring, it is the center tap connection of the secondary winding of the power company's transformer. (See split phase.) As opposed to the "hot" wire(s) which carry the AC voltage, the neutral is the "cold" wire which is normally at zero volts.

* In a polyphase or three-wire AC system, the neutral conductor is intended to have similar voltages to each of the other circuit conductors, and similar phase spacing. By this definition, a circuit must have at least three wires for one to serve as a neutral.
* In the electrical trade, the conductor of a 2-wire circuit that is connected to the supply neutral point and earth ground is also referred to as the "neutral". This is formally described in the US and Canadian electrical codes as the "identified" circuit conductor.

Answer 9

Neutral is zero relative to the live wire. The earth is to dump any charge to if the electrical item becomes live by short-citcuiting as a safety measure

Answer 10

Ground is locally grounded. Neutral is grounded at the substation. So if the neutral wire is shorted locally and becomes live, you still have a ground.