Ground and neutral

<p>In <a href="/facts/Electrical_engineering/YYXW1KLW">electrical engineering</a>, ground and neutral (earth and neutral) are <a href="/facts/Electrical_conductor/BSuyupLP">circuit conductors</a> used in <a href="/facts/Alternating_current/qxICS3xa">alternating current</a> (AC) electrical systems. The neutral conductor receives and returns alternating current to the supply during normal operation of the circuit; to limit the effects of leakage current from higher-voltage systems, the neutral conductor is often connected to earth ground at the point of supply. By contrast, a ground conductor is not intended to carry current for normal operation, but instead connects exposed metallic components (such as equipment enclosures or conduits enclosing wiring) to earth ground. A ground conductor only carries significant current if there is a circuit fault that would otherwise energize exposed conductive parts and present a shock hazard. In that case, circuit protection devices may detect a fault to a grounded metal enclosure and automatically de-energize the circuit, or may provide a warning of a ground fault. 
</p><p>Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. <a href="/facts/Electric_current/Dc1xdnUX">Current</a> carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous <a href="/facts/Voltage/EN2po6N2">voltages</a> appearing on equipment <a href="/facts/Enclosure_(electrical)/JfIR9JdK">enclosures</a>, so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in <a href="/facts/Electrical_safety_standards/oJVM9bPr">electrical regulations</a>. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground.
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Ground and neutral open-in-new

Ground and neutral