2007-09-23 16:16:02 · 6 answers · asked by louisvilledavid 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
AC stands for alternating current.....meaning current flows one direction and then the other way and it does this in the U.S. 60 times a second. The neutral is the return (other direction) of the circuit. The ground is the wire that protects you from electricution/electrical shock. It provides another path to earth....hopefully of less resistance than from you to earth.....when electricity flows in the wrong direction (ground fault).....This is completely over-simplified and you could spend almost an entire semester learning about the difference between neutral and ground.
2007-09-23 16:45:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The neutral is a current carrying conductor like the hot wire and makes a complete circuit for ac electricity. The ground is a safety wire which bonds anything that might accidentally become energized, back to the source of the electricity, to open the fuse or circuit breaker in the event of a short circuit or ground fault. The ground does not normally carry any current.
2007-09-24 13:02:57 · answer #2 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In general a ground is used to keep all things metal safe from being energized and hurting people. Neutral is used to take the unbalanced electricity back to the transformer you see in your back yard.
For 110 circuits it is needed to complete a circuit for things to work. OLD wiring with just a neutral and a hot wire is dangerous to use as a ground esp. with todays electronics. Electronics use a bridge rectifier that uses the neutral heavily.
The confusing part to most people is that all grounds and neutrals must be bonded together at a common point, usually the circuit breaker panel, for lightning and to make sure all things metal in a building are safe for people to accidentally touch. Bonding is just a word the occupation uses to say tied together.
2007-09-23 16:47:59 · answer #3 · answered by analize2much 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
the ground (bare or green) wire is the "grounding conductor"
The neutral (white or gray) wire is the "grounded conductor"
The grounded conductor is always utilized and is there to complete the circuit in a 120 volt circuit.
The grounding conductor is hopefully never used, it's there to:
1. Bleed transient voltage back to ground.
2. Protect from lightning
3. To give a fault (short) a safe place in order to give the over-current protection (breakers) a chance to trip.
2007-09-23 16:52:40 · answer #4 · answered by tb417 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
When you use a 2 wire system IE; 12/2 the white wire is a grounded conductor, not a neutral. When you use a 3 wire system or more and you have a unbalanced load between the wires that's the only time the white becomes a neutral. It then carries the unbalanced load back to the transformer.
2007-09-23 22:52:02 · answer #5 · answered by Stephen P 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You sure got excellent answers here! I wouldn't ATTEMPT to add anything. :)
I sure learned alot, though, and am greatful to everybody for replyin. *OUTSTANDING* answers! :D
~Cindy! :)
2007-09-23 17:18:06 · answer #6 · answered by ♛ CindyBradyTooh ♛ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋